How can we ensure our hearts are not "stubborn" like in Jeremiah 17:23? Setting the Scene Jeremiah 17:23: “Yet they would not listen or incline their ear, but stiffened their necks so that they would not hear and would not receive My instruction.” Jeremiah is describing a people who flat-out refused God’s instruction—most visibly by ignoring His call to keep the Sabbath (v. 22). That stubborn posture went far deeper than a single command; it revealed a heart condition. Why Stubborn Hearts Are Dangerous • Stubbornness resists God’s voice, shutting out the very words that give life (Deuteronomy 30:19-20). • It blinds us to sin’s creeping influence (Hebrews 3:13). • It invites discipline and judgment instead of blessing (Proverbs 29:1). Diagnosing a Stubborn Heart • Repeatedly excusing disobedience: “I know what the Bible says, but…” • Dismissing conviction instead of confessing it (1 John 1:8). • Treating worship and fellowship as optional extras (Hebrews 10:25). • A pattern of selective hearing—embracing verses we like, ignoring the rest (James 1:22). Steps to Keep a Soft, Responsive Heart 1. Cling to the Lord’s Day rhythm. • Israel’s refusal to honor the Sabbath exposed a deeper defiance. • Set apart time each week to rest in God’s finished work and remember His authority (Exodus 20:8-11). 2. Invite the Spirit to perform heart surgery. • Ezekiel 36:26: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” • Pray for a Spirit-softened heart every day. 3. Saturate your mind with Scripture. • Psalm 119:11: “I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You.” • Read, memorize, and meditate so truth reshapes instincts and desires. 4. Practice immediate obedience. • Small acts of compliance train the soul for larger ones (Luke 16:10). • Delay usually hardens; swift obedience keeps soil soft. 5. Cultivate humility through confession. • Regular self-examination (Psalm 139:23-24) paired with honest repentance drains pride before it congeals. 6. Stay connected to Christ’s body. • Hebrews 3:12-13: “Encourage one another daily… so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” • Accountability and mutual exhortation sand away rough edges. 7. Guard the wellspring diligently. • Proverbs 4:23: “Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life.” • Filter influences, conversations, and media that incline the heart toward rebellion. Holding Fast in Daily Life • Morning surrender: start each day declaring, “Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:10). • Mid-day check-ins: pause to ask, “Am I resisting or receiving right now?” • Evening review: rehearse where God prompted and how you responded; confess, give thanks, reset. Promises for the Soft-hearted • Jeremiah 24:7: “I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the LORD. They will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with all their heart.” • James 4:6: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Soft hearts live beneath a waterfall of grace, able to hear, eager to obey, and ready to enjoy the fullness of God’s blessing. |
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