Curse – Page 2 – Praying Pint

12.i. “Utter darkness is laid up for his treasures”

Zachariah 5:1 I looked again, and there before me was a flying scroll. He asked me, “What do you see?” I answered, “I see a flying scroll, twenty cubits long and ten cubits wide.” And he said to me, “This is the curse that is going out over the whole land; for according to what it says on one side, every thief will be banished, and according to what it says on the other, everyone who swears falsely will be banished. The Lord Almighty declares, ‘I will send it out, and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of anyone who swears falsely by my name. It will remain in that house and destroy it completely, both its timbers and its stones.’”

Job 20:26 Utter darkness is laid up for his treasures; a fire not fanned will devour him; what is left in his tent will be consumed.

James 5:2-3 Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days.

The curse of God is on all who live falsely toward God and who lay up treasures for their own gain and pleasure. Do you ever wonder what a false life toward God would look like? “They serve God with their mouth but not with their heart, mind, and soul.” The work of their hands is for their own good, their own satisfaction, their own pleasure, their own gain. This world is full of things that make us think that our lives and our purpose in life is about what we own, what we do, and what we accomplish in our won strength and wisdom. Oh, we might give glancing words of thanks to God but in our heart, we say, “look what I have accomplished”. Our life is not to be about us and for our own glory and honor. It is and should be for the honor and glory of Jesus Christ. All that we are and the talents we have been given are to bring honor and glory to Him, Him alone. What is the end for all of those things we worked for, for ourselves – destruction? They will be burnt up like twigs thrown into a fire. They will end in a puff of smoke and our life will end without purpose, without, meaning, without heavenly satisfaction, without eternity in heaven. Thinking we can fight off sinful desires of self-satisfaction, self-worth, self-glory, and honor apart from God’s word and complete surrender to deny self and honor, glorify, follow, obey and trust Him are lies of our sinful nature and Satan. Feed on His Word. Surrender all to Him for His glory and honor. Seek to listen. Desire to hear. Be willing to obey.

11.v. ” If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name”

Nahum 3:5 Behold, I am against you, declares the Lord of hosts, and will lift up your skirts over your face; and I will make nations look at your nakedness and kingdoms at your shame. I will throw filth at you and treat you with contempt and make you a spectacle. And all who look at you will shrink from you and say, “Wasted is Nineveh; who will grieve for her?” Where shall I seek comforters for you?

Ezekiel 23:25  And I will direct my jealousy against you, that they may deal with you in fury. They shall cut off your nose and your ears, and your survivors shall fall by the sword. They shall seize your sons and your daughters, and your survivors shall be devoured by fire.

Jeremiah 13:22    And if you say in your heart, ‘Why have these things come upon me?’ it is for the greatness of your iniquity that your skirts are lifted up and you suffer violence.

Habakkuk 2:16     You will have your fill of shame instead of glory. Drink, yourself, and show your uncircumcision! The cup in the LORD’s right hand will come around to you, and utter shame will come upon your glory!

Malachi 2:2     If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the LORD of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart.

Malachi 2:9     and so I make you despised and abased before all the people, inasmuch as you do not keep my ways but show partiality in your instruction.”

Isaiah 14:16-19 Those who see you will stare at you and ponder over you: ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms,  who made the world like a desert and overthrew its cities, who did not let his prisoners go home?’  All the kings of the nations lie in glory, each in his own tomb;  but you are cast out, away from your grave, like a loathed branch, clothed with the slain, those pierced by the sword, who go down to the stones of the pit, like a dead body trampled underfoot.

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap.” Do you ever wonder what is keeping God from just displaying the full force of His wrath and anger? It is His promise of redemption, not wishing any should perish but that all would come to the knowledge of salvation, forgiveness, and eternal life through Jesus Christ. His grace, mercy, and love are what keeps His wrath and anger at bay. It will not be like this forever. There is coming a time when He will call His children home to be with him forevermore. Then there will be a time of unleashing His wrath and anger and judgment. We see where He has felt with individuals, cities, and nations but a time is coming when it will be on all of those who have defied Him and His offer of salvation and forgiveness. A time is coming and when it comes it will not be compared to any other time in the history of mankind. Believing that it will not happen in your lifetime does not make it so. Believing you will, at some time in the future, make things right with God means you are choosing to deny Him right now. This choice has eternal consequences. Open your heart to the Good News message of Jesus Christ. You will find peace for your soul that you never thought possible, and a life with purpose, meaning, and eternal life with Jesus Christ.

73. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.

Joshua 8:34 And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law. There was not a word of all that Moses commanded that Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, and the women, and the little ones, and the sojourners who lived among them.

Deuteronomy 31:10-12    And Moses commanded them, “At the end of every seven years, at the set time in the year of release, at the Feast of Booths,  when all Israel comes to appear before the LORD your God at the place that he will choose, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing.  Assemble the people, men, women, and little ones, and the sojourner within your towns, that they may hear and learn to fear the LORD your God, and be careful to do all the words of this law,

Nehemiah 8:2-3     So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, on the first day of the seventh month.  And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.

Nehemiah 9:3    And they stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of the day; for another quarter of it they made confession and worshiped the LORD their God.

Deuteronomy 30:15-20     “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil.  If you obey the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you today, by loving the LORD your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it.  But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them,  I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess.  I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live,  loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”

There was times past when God’s word was read to an entire nation, a time spent listening to His word and time spent in confession and time spent in worship. It is hard for us to imagine what it would be like to not have God’s written word immediately available and easily accessible. Wh don’t have to wait until there is a special day for His word to be read to us, we can read it at anytime we choose. Is it possible that His word is so readily available that we don’t find the need to spend time in it every day? Is it possible that because it is so accessible that we just tuck it away until we think we need it?

God’s word is not to be seen or used as a remedy quick fix book for when we come to hard times or sickness, or troubles, or trials. God’s word is to be food for every moment of every day. His word is to be so needed that it is consumed like the very air we need and breath. If His word is not active in your life is it possible that it is void from your choice of needing it, relying on it, clinging to it, wanting it??????

Choose to spend time in His word, neglecting it will always lead to your heart, mind and soul drifting away from Him.

60. I did not speak in secret

Deuteronomy 30:11 “For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it.

“See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you today, by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess. I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”

Isaiah 45:19    I did not speak in secret, in a land of darkness; I did not say to the offspring of Jacob, ‘Seek me in vain.’ I the LORD speak the truth; I declare what is right.

Romans 16:25-26     Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages  but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—

Colossians 1:26-27     the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints.  To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Can His word be so close to our heart and so familiar to our soul that it can not be understood or not be put into practice? NO! I wonder how it is possible to spend day after day, and week after week, and possibly month after month without more than a glance at His word when we know of the blessings and curses that come from either obedience or neglect. Have we watered down His word so much that following it only requires a showing up in Church a few times per month and speaking to God is dialed back to only when something troubling is happening.

His word would tell us that we can comprehend it, we can understand it, it is revealed to us, it is not far off, and it is brought to the very door of our heart, mind, and soul. However, it does no good in the heart, soul, and mind of anyone who does not cherish it or read it, or seek it, or desire it, or want to obey it. Neglects and complacency are not excuses, they are a choice.

49. I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse

Deuteronomy 11:22 For if you will be careful to do all this commandment that I command you to do, loving the Lord your God, walking in all his ways, and holding fast to him, then the Lord will drive out all these nations before you, and you will dispossess nations greater and mightier than you. Every place on which the sole of your foot treads shall be yours. Your territory shall be from the wilderness to the Lebanon and from the River, the river Euphrates, to the western sea. No one shall be able to stand against you. The Lord your God will lay the fear of you and the dread of you on all the land that you shall tread, as he promised you. “See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way that I am commanding you today, to go after other gods that you have not known.

Deuteronomy 30:20    loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days,

Isaiah 3:10    Tell the righteous that it shall be well with them, for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds.

Luke 11:28     But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”

John 13:17    If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

A blessing and a curse. Who would intentionally choose a curse? Who would say I want to have no peace, no satisfaction, no protection, no hope, no purpose, no future, no meaning, no joy, no rest ……??? I have to think the number who would say this is small. But still, this is how they walk through life. If they did not intentionally choose it how does it come to pass?

The curse is the outcome when the blessing is not sought. Blessings come when there is an intentional choice and continual pursuit to serve, honor, follow and obey God. Blessings come when we choose to trust in, cling to, and rely on God. When things look like there is no way out we can choose to go it alone or we can place it in God’s hands and trust Him completely.

As I write this I am so convicted on how I let certain things worry me, cause doubt, affect my outlook…..God does not change and is able to do more than I can imagine. So why do I walk in a time of testing and allow worry, doubt, and anxiousness to rule. Could it be that I am choosing the curse of them over the blessings of God? Faith, Trust, Hope are all rooted in God through Jesus Christ and if they are intentionally desired, sought after, and cherished the voids we find created by worry, doubt, and anxiousness have no place to take rood even though these seeds may have been planted by the circumstance we face. Faith, trust, hope are blessings from God through Jesus Christ.

1. ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’

Exodus 22:28 “You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people.

Ecclesiastes 10:20     Even in your thoughts, do not curse the king, nor in your bedroom curse the rich, for a bird of the air will carry your voice, or some winged creature tell the matter.

Acts 23:5     And Paul said, “I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’”

Romans 13:2-7     Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.  For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval,  for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.  Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience.  For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing.  Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

Titus 3:1-2     Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work,  to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people

1 Peter 2:17     Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

It surely takes godly wisdom to apply these verses. How do you honor a leader you do not respect or trust? How do you not speak evil of one who is authorizing the murder of innocent men, women, and children? How do you not speak out against the Leader who is taking people into unrighteous paths for their life? How do you follow a leader who rejects Christ?

These are human questions but are not the right way to approach the situation of a bad leader. God wants and expects us to come to Him alone for the resolution of a bad ruler, authority, leader. We are to go to Him confessing the sin of what we see and ask His intervention. We are to seek Him for our refuge. We are to rely on Him alone. We are to find peace in the midst of trials and troubles in Him. We are to find strength in God to face the injustice. He is our refuge, hope, rock, fortress, and calm in the storm.

We are to pray for our leaders not complain about them. We are to seek God not speak evil. We are to be submissive and obedient. There are times when we don’t like or approve of our leadership. However we must respect and honor the position.

There may be time when you have to take a stand when asked/told to do something that is against what God teaches us. We accept the consequence gladly as serving God is our goal. We do not speak evil. We speak the truth.

Daniel 3:16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

Walk Properly

”And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”

John 12:35 So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going.

Psalms 22:16 For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet— I can count all my bones— they stare and gloat over me; they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.

1 Peter 2:24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,

Galatians 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—

Romans 5:17 For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.

Revelation 5:9 And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation,

Isaiah 2:5 O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the LORD.

Isaiah 42:6 “I am the LORD; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.

Romans 13:12 The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Psalms 69:22 Let their own table before them become a snare; and when they are at peace, let it become a trap. Let their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see, and make their loins tremble continually. Pour out your indignation upon them, and let your burning anger overtake them. May their camp be a desolation; let no one dwell in their tents. For they persecute him whom you have struck down, and they recount the pain of those you have wounded. Add to them punishment upon punishment; may they have no acquittal from you. Let them be blotted out of the book of the living; let them not be enrolled among the righteous.

Jesus Christ went to the cross to redeem all who would believe – to draw them unto Himself- to take us by the hand – to heal us – to make us righteous – to give us light – to give us armor to fight against darkness – to keep us – ransom us from separation from God due to our sin – to make us alive in the spirit – to make us a new creation for humbly serving, following, honoring, obeying God. Think on this today and what kind of life you are living in light of this glorious gift. Read His word and pray asking Him to fill you with knowledge and understanding beyond human wisdom. Praise His name for He is worthy.

You looked for much

“Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.”

“But a firstborn of animals, which as a firstborn belongs to the LORD, no man may dedicate; whether ox or sheep, it is the LORD’s.”

“ Out of all the gifts to you, you shall present every contribution due to the LORD; from each its best part is to be dedicated.”

“For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord,”

Malachi 3:6 “For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the LORD of hosts. Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the LORD of hosts.

1 John 3:17 But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

1 Corinthians 16:2 On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.

Haggai 1:9 You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the LORD of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house.

Giving is one of the blessings God allows us to share. He supplies and then tells us to set aside the first of it and be prepared to give it to our church and those in need. Yet scripture is clear on man’s heart. We choose to serve ourselves first and God and others second with what is left over. However God expects us to give first. Many go through life without knowing the true blessings that comes from a heart desire to humbly serve God through giving. We are not to give out of our excess but out of what comes in first. The guide for us is to give 10% to support ministry (our church) and then above this offerings of thanks, and then contributions for those in need. (those special needs that others have and that God is leading you to give towards.) You can hear His whispers of guidance in giving if your heart is set to listen. If we follow this guidance with a single purpose in our heart to honor Him, blessings flow. Purpose to give of your firsts.

They did not Listen

“Give glory to the LORD your God before he brings darkness, before your feet stumble on the twilight mountains, and while you look for light he turns it into gloom and makes it deep darkness.”

“But my people did not listen to my voice; Israel would not submit to me. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels.”

Malachi 2:1 “And now, O priests, this command is for you, If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the LORD of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart. Behold, I will rebuke your offspring, and spread dung on your faces, the dung of your offerings, and you shall be taken away with it. So shall you know that I have sent this command to you, that my covenant with Levi may stand, says the LORD of hosts.

Deuteronomy 28:15 “But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD your God or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes that I command you today, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you.

“All these curses shall come upon you and pursue you and overtake you till you are destroyed, because you did not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to keep his commandments and his statutes that he commanded you. They shall be a sign and a wonder against you and your offspring forever. Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joyfulness and gladness of heart, because of the abundance of all things,

Your life shall hang in doubt before you. Night and day you shall be in dread and have no assurance of your life. In the morning you shall say, ‘If only it were evening!’ and at evening you shall say, ‘If only it were morning!’ because of the dread that your heart shall feel, and the sights that your eyes shall see.

Isaiah 30:8 And now, go, write it before them on a tablet and inscribe it in a book, that it may be for the time to come as a witness forever. For they are a rebellious people, lying children, children unwilling to hear the instruction of the LORD; who say to the seers, “Do not see,” and to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us what is right; speak to us smooth things, prophesy illusions, leave the way, turn aside from the path, let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel.” Therefore thus says the Holy One of Israel, “Because you despise this word and trust in oppression and perverseness and rely on them, therefore this iniquity shall be to you like a breach in a high wall, bulging out and about to collapse, whose breaking comes suddenly, in an instant;

With all of the promises in God’s word for blessings I wonder if we overlook the warnings. Notice “if you do not listen”, if you do not take to heart”, and “because they did not listen” make known the warning and actions taken by God. God is not mocked – what a man sows so shall he reap. With God in our lives we have peace, hope, joy, comfort, and rest. He is our rock, refuge, strength and power. In Him we can do all things and endure all things. Desire to know Him. Commit to humbly serving Him. Honor, follow, and obey Him. Listen for the whispers of guidance as you read His word and contemplate it. Our purpose this side of eternity is to serve Him fully.

Delusional

Psalms 62:4 They only plan to thrust him down from his high position. They take pleasure in falsehood. They bless with their mouths, but inwardly they curse. For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Those of low estate are but a breath; those of high estate are a delusion; in the balances they go up; they are together lighter than a breath. Put no trust in extortion; set no vain hopes on robbery; if riches increase, set not your heart on them. Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God, and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love. For you will render to a man according to his work.

Job 33:14 For God speaks in one way, and in two, though man does not perceive it. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men, while they slumber on their beds, then he opens the ears of men and terrifies them with warnings, that he may turn man aside from his deed and conceal pride from a man;

2 Chronicles 33:10 The LORD spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they paid no attention.

Proverbs 1:24 Because I have called and you refused to listen, have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded,

Proverbs 1:29 Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD,

Isaiah 6:9 And he said, “Go, and say to this people: “‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’

Mark 8:17 And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember?

Luke 24:25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!

John 3:19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.

Foolish, hardened hearts, ears that do not hear, not remembering, not seeing, not perceiving, not understanding, hating knowledge, choosing to not fear God, refusing to listen, paying no attention, and putting trust in riches are all given in today’s scriptures. They describe the heart of man and we must be mindful of the natural inclination of our heart and mind. We are instructed to desire God with all our heart, mind, and soul. We are instructed to love Him more than things of this world. We are instructed to confess sin. We are instructed to repent/turn away from sin. We are instructed to humbly serve Him, honor Him, follow Him, listen to Him, and obey Him. We are instructed to give generously. We are instructed to be in unity. We are instructed to put others first. We are instructed to pray. We are instructed to cling to, rely on, and trust in Him alone. We are instructed to cherish His word and to meditate on it night and day. We are instructed to be set apart and be an example. We are instructed to make disciples. We are instructed to not be angry. We are instructed to encourage the weak, help the poor, give to the needy. We are instructed to keep our eyes on Him. We are instructed to listen to Him speak to our heart. We are instructed to keep our eyes focused on Him and eternity. We are instructed to be kind. We are instructed to not have trust in our power or our riches or the might of others. I fear we look at these instructions as recommendations that can or can not be lived in our lives. I fear we think more about God’s grace, love, and mercy and forget about His wrath. I fear we don’t do what is instructed because we choose to live outside of the knowledge and understanding of them. I fear our christian walk has been diluted to thinking that nothing more is expected of us rather than going to church on Sunday. I fear so many are delusional, lukewarm, and living apart from what God has instructed for those who are called to Him. For certain we need to examine our heart and mind and life in light of His word, and the instruction, promises, and warnings contained in it. We have a choice to serve Him with our whole heart, mind, and soul. We have a choice to honor, follow and obey Him. We have a choice to place Him first in our life. We have a choice to be used by Him. Choose to commit to a humbly live serving, honoring, following, obeying Him. Choose to read His word, meditate on it, believe it and proclaim it.