Exodus 4:1 Then Moses answered, “But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you.’” The Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?”
Acts 7:25 He supposed that his brothers would understand that God was giving them salvation by his hand, but they did not understand.
Psalms 106:7 Our fathers, when they were in Egypt, did not consider your wondrous works; they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love, but rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea.
Luke 9:45 But they did not understand this saying, and it was concealed from them, so that they might not perceive it.
Luke 18:34 But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.
Psalms 78:42 They did not remember his power or the day when he redeemed them from the foe,
Mar 4:11 And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, so that “‘they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.’” And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? The sower sows the word. And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”
“They will not believe or listen to my voice”. This is what Moses said to God when God told him to go speak to the elders. Note in Acts where Paul explained what happened to Moses – the people did not understand.
What keeps people from understanding, listening, remembering, perceiving, or grasping things of God?
Could it be a hardened heart? Weak heart? Lukewarm heart? Proud heart? Worldly heart? Greedy heart? Self-seeking heart? Fearful heart? Faithless heart? Yes these can all happen but why?
Being complacent and living in prosperity, not thinking about needing God. It is a sad place to be, to think you do not need God everyday for every moment. It gets worse from here. When we see little need for God there is no time spent in His word, no time in prayer, no time seeking to serve Him, no time to worship Him, no time to honor Him.
How do we think we will see any of His mighty works, or loving kindness, or grace, or mercy, or forgiveness, or power, or strength, or peace, or courage, or healing….. if neglecting God is the norm for our daily life.
The same neglect will void any understanding of His word and knowing how to humbly serve, honor, follow and obey.
The same neglect leaves us defenseless from the darts of satan in our lives.
“And though they said all is well, destruction came upon them unaware”
If his word is not breath, food and water for your soul there is little hope for honoring Him. If humbly serving, following and obeying Him is not your first goal in life there is little hope for honoring Him. If honoring Him is not the first thought in the morning and last thought at night, how will it ever happen. If His word is not feeding your heart, mind, and soul how will their be fruit.
My strength comes from the Lord.
My hope is in the Lord
My life is in the Lord’s hands
My peace, joy, and love comes from the Lord
My soul rejoices in His promises
My ears seek to hear His leading
My eyes desire to see His mighty hand
My heart loves the Lord