words – Page 2 – Praying Pint

14.a. “They scoff and speak with malice; loftily they threaten oppression They set their mouths against the heavens”

Malachi 2:17 You have wearied the Lord with your words. But you say, “How have we wearied him?” By saying, “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delights in them.” Or by asking, “Where is the God of justice?”

Psalms 95:9-10     when your fathers put me to the test and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.  For forty years I loathed that generation and said, “They are a people who go astray in their heart, and they have not known my ways.”

Isaiah 43:24     You have not bought me sweet cane with money, or satisfied me with the fat of your sacrifices. But you have burdened me with your sins; you have wearied me with your iniquities.

Jeremiah 15:6    You have rejected me, declares the LORD; you keep going backward, so I have stretched out my hand against you and destroyed you— I am weary of relenting.

Ezekiel 16:43    Because you have not remembered the days of your youth, but have enraged me with all these things, therefore, behold, I have returned your deeds upon your head, declares the Lord GOD. Have you not committed lewdness in addition to all your abominations?

Psalms 73:3-15    For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.  For they have no pangs until death; their bodies are fat and sleek.  They are not in trouble as others are; they are not stricken like the rest of mankind.  Therefore pride is their necklace; violence covers them as a garment.  Their eyes swell out through fatness; their hearts overflow with follies.  They scoff and speak with malice; loftily they threaten oppression  They set their mouths against the heavens, and their tongue struts through the earth.  Therefore his people turn back to them, and find no fault in them.  And they say, “How can God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?”  Behold, these are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches.

Ecclesiastes 8:11    Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil.

Do you ever wonder if we are just continually asking things of God and forgetting to honor, worship, and glorify Him? Don’t get me wrong it is good to seek the Lord with all those troubles and concerns that affect us or the ones we love. Is it possible in all of this asking we lose sight of honor, glory, and praise to Jesus Christ? Do we weary Jesus with this continual asking and minimal praise and worship? Do we spend enough time in His Word to know of His greatness, power, knowledge, wisdom, might, grace, mercy, and love? Do we spend enough time in His Word so that we recognize that which is worldly and that which is holy, true, just, and right? Do we put God’s patience to test by confusing worldly cultural beliefs with those of God? Is our heart astray? Are we always going backward? Are we calling evil good? Think about this. Many across our country approve of abortion, protest riots and looting, gay lifestyle, pornography, gay marriage, etc….. Is our country going backward? Have our leaders abandoned Jesus Christ? Has our country become ice-cold to Jesus Christ? There can be no compromise in our hearts and minds. There cannot be room for the cultural beliefs of what is right and wrong to coexist with things of God. Our foundation, rock, and steadfast truth are found in the Word of God, Jesus Christ’s redemption, and the indwelling Holy Spirit. When we neglect God’s Word, deny honor and worship to Jesus Christ, and resist the Holy Spirit’s leading, that which is worldly is given space to root and it will easily confuse us in our understanding of what is right and wrong. Just take a good look at what people are calling right and wrong right now and compare it with the Word of God and what it calls right and wrong. We will do well to continually worship, honor, praise, and glorify Jesus Christ, studying His Word, and following, trusting, obeying, and relying on Him every day.

13.n. “Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me.”

Zachariah 7:8 And the word of the Lord came again to Zechariah: “This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.’ “But they refused to pay attention; stubbornly they turned their backs and covered their ears. They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the Lord Almighty had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. So the Lord Almighty was very angry. “‘When I called, they did not listen; so when they called, I would not listen,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations, where they were strangers. The land they left behind them was so desolate that no one traveled through it. This is how they made the pleasant land desolate.’”

2 Kings 17:13-15    Yet the LORD warned Israel and Judah by every prophet and every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways and keep my commandments and my statutes, in accordance with all the Law that I commanded your fathers, and that I sent to you by my servants the prophets.”  But they would not listen, but were stubborn, as their fathers had been, who did not believe in the LORD their God.  They despised his statutes and his covenant that he made with their fathers and the warnings that he gave them. They went after false idols and became false, and they followed the nations that were around them, concerning whom the LORD had commanded them that they should not do like them.

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

Nehemiah 9:29     And you warned them in order to turn them back to your law. Yet they acted presumptuously and did not obey your commandments, but sinned against your rules, which if a person does them, he shall live by them, and they turned a stubborn shoulder and stiffened their neck and would not obey.

Proverbs 1:24-32     Because I have called and you refused to listen, have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded,  because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof,  I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you,  when terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you.  Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me.  Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD,  would have none of my counsel and despised all my reproof,  therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices.  For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them;

Jeremiah 44:16     “As for the word that you have spoken to us in the name of the LORD, we will not listen to you.

Hebrews 12:25     See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven.

They refused to listen; they resisted the warners; they exhibited open contempt for them. They willfully were ignorant and would not consider nor want to understand. What level of contempt is it when a person sets their heart hard as stone so that their ears are deaf to the Word of God? Do you ever wonder if people consider the Word of God a burden? Is this why they harden their heart to God? Think about this. The Word of God proclaims a righteous, pure, and holy Creator God. It proclaims the fall of mankind. It exposes the sinful nature of man. It proclaims the separation between God and man due to this fallen sinful state. It proclaims God’s wrath, anger, and judgment. It proclaims God’s grace, mercy, and love toward mankind with promises of restoration, redemption, and salvation. It proclaims blessings. It is a guide and restraint to the sinful nature of our hearts. It proclaims the wonders and mystery of God. It proclaims the promises of God. It proclaims warnings. It yields hope, joy, peace, refuge, courage, power, kindness, forgiveness, and rest for those who have open hearts, minds, souls, and ears to hear, believe, obey, and trust in what God proclaims. It also yields hardened hearts, minds, souls, and ears to those who defy, deny, and resist what God proclaims. It promises eternity in heaven for those who believe. It promises eternity in hell for those who do not believe.

Is it a burden to live for God? Is it a burden to live holy, righteous, and pleasing to the God of all there is? Is it a burden to live to honor, glorify, worship, magnify, and praise to God? Is it a burden to live in loving kindness? Is it a burden to live showing mercy and grace to others? It is not a burden but a blessing to be loved by God and in a restored relationship with Him. What is the alternative to our lives should we choose to deny and defy God? Isn’t the true burden of life trying to live as though God does not exist? Every day Creation screams out the existence of God and every day the heart of the deniers must harden more and try to make sense and purpose of this life. Every day the burden of denial becomes heavier and heavier. The denying soul will find that the burden of life brings no pleasure or satisfaction even though they search diligently for it in the things this world has to offer. The Word of God is not a burden. It is a wondrous blessing from God to His creation.

9.u. “For the LORD of hosts has purposed, and who will annul it?”

Amos 3:1 Hear this word that the Lord has spoken against you, O people of Israel, against the whole family that I brought up out of the land of Egypt: “You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities. “Do two walk together, unless they have agreed to meet? Does a lion roar in the forest, when he has no prey? Does a young lion cry out from his den, if he has taken nothing? Does a bird fall in a snare on the earth, when there is no trap for it? Does a snare spring up from the ground, when it has taken nothing? Is a trumpet blown in a city, and the people are not afraid? Does disaster come to a city, unless the Lord has done it? “For the Lord God does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets.

Genesis 50:20    As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.

Isaiah 14:24-27     The LORD of hosts has sworn: “As I have planned, so shall it be, and as I have purposed, so shall it stan  that I will break the Assyrian in my land, and on my mountains trample him underfoot; and his yoke shall depart from them, and his burden from their shoulder.”

This is the purpose that is purposed concerning the whole earth, and this is the hand that is stretched out over all the nations.  For the LORD of hosts has purposed, and who will annul it? His hand is stretched out, and who will turn it back?

Isaiah 45:7   I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the LORD, who does all these things.

2 Kings 22:13     “Go, inquire of the LORD for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the LORD that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.”

God is saying; “Will there be any evil, or calamity inflicted on a wicked city, which does not proceed from me, as the effect of my wrath?” These the examples were intended to convince the people that they had cause for alarm, as their monstrous iniquities called down the vengeance of God to punish them with these calamities. Time after time prophets were sent to warn the Israelites of pending action from God. This warning came with a call to repent and turn away from their sinful ways. I am sure there were those who did take this seriously even while most others did not. Such is the way of mankind when the Word of God is void and humble service, honor, praise, worship, trust, obedience, and reliance no longer are even a thought in their mind. The process of blindly following after that which is not pleasing to God will always start with losing desire, hunger, and thirst for God’s Word. When this happens that void is filled with what the world has to offer. That first day of thinking you are to busy to spend time in God’s Word is a slippery slope of more days to follow. At first, there may be some void that is felt somewhere in your soul but after repeated days this void is no longer felt. It has been replaced by things of this world that we so easily claim bring satisfaction into our life. I heard on the radio that some governors are proclaiming that abortion is not an elective procedure and federal judges are agreeing. I have a friend who needs a triple by-pass and that is deemed elective, some prostate and cancer surgeries, for the most part, are called elective, as well, some knee, hip, and other orthopedic surgeries. Think about this: taking the life of an unborn and healthy child is deemed medically necessary while treating other life-enhancing surgeries not. When has a nation that tolerates pornography (adult entertainment) ever survived judgment coming from God over it? When as a nation that promotes, supports, and tolerates homosexual activity survived coming judgment from God? There has not been any since the creation of the world. Denying God and that He exists does not mean it is true. It does not protect a nation or person from His judgment. “For great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our father have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us”

8.v. “These words are trustworthy and true.”

Revelation 22:6 And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.”“And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.”

Trustworthy and true – What is being said is deserving of our complete confidence. documents: (1) Jesus is returning one day – physically, visibly, in power and great glory; (2) we do not know the day or the hour of His return; (3) we should live in view of His imminent return; (4) when He comes, all people will know it; (5) Jesus will judge all people personally, rewarding believers according to their faithfulness and punishing unbelievers in varying degrees in hell; (6) He will create new heavens and a new earth, setting everything right; and (7) the glory of eternity with Christ will cause the “former things” of this world to fade away.

Phillips, Rob. The Searcher’s Guide to the Apocalypse:

7.p. Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them.

Revelation 13:1 And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?”

And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain. If anyone has an ear, let him hear: If anyone is to be taken captive, to captivity he goes; if anyone is to be slain with the sword, with the sword must he be slain. Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.

Think of all of the ruthless, charismatic, cruel, and cultic rulers there have been over the course of history. Some of these are recent and some more distant. One thing is for sure they despise God and think of themselves as “god-like”. The antichrist will rise to power through Satan and he will be worshiped by the masses. He will persecute those Christians who have come to the knowledge of Jesus Christ during the tribulation period. He will kill many but he will also take great pleasure in tormenting them physically, financially, and mentally. He will do supernatural things so that multitudes of people we flock to Him. He will have a way of convincing people to follow Him and allow how he is treating Christians.

This will not be a time you would want to live through and most definitely would not want this to be what opens your heart to the message of Jesus Christ. Now is the time to repent and come to Him. Now is the time of salvation. Now is the time to live for Him. Seek and desire Him more than the things that are keeping yours for giving Him your whole heart, mind, and soul.

196. “All the words that the LORD has spoken we will do.”

2 Kings 23:1 Then the king sent, and all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem were gathered to him. And the king went up to the house of the Lord, and with him all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the priests and the prophets, all the people, both small and great. And he read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant that had been found in the house of the Lord. And the king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people joined in the covenant.

Exodus 24:3     Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD and all the rules. And all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words that the LORD has spoken we will do.”

Joshua 24:24     And the people said to Joshua, “The LORD our God we will serve, and his voice we will obey.”

Deuteronomy 10:12    “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,

Deuteronomy 8:19    And if you forget the LORD your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish.

After some 70+ years, the word of God is read to all the people. This would mean an entire generation had never heard it read. They may have heard some speak about it but never read. The laws, the covenant, the warnings, the power and might of God, and expectations/promises were read out loud. King Josiah called all of the people together to hear it and upon hearing it Josiah made a public covenant before the Lord and all the people to walk after the Lord and to keep His commandments, testimonies, and statutes with all his heart and soul.

When our heart opens up to God’s word our mind and soul are moved to action. When our heart is open, our eyes will no longer be blind to see and our ears will no longer be deaf to hear the Holy Spirit of God speaking, leading, guiding, encouraging, strengthening, empowering, and the love of God towards those who come to Him with their whole heart, mind, and soul.

184. On what do you rest this trust of yours?

2 Kings 18:13 In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them. And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, “I have done wrong; withdraw from me. Whatever you impose on me I will bear.” And the king of Assyria required of Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king’s house. At that time Hezekiah stripped the gold from the doors of the temple of the Lord and from the doorposts that Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid and gave it to the king of Assyria. And the king of Assyria sent the Tartan, the Rab-saris, and the Rabshakeh with a great army from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. When they arrived, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is on the highway to the Washer’s Field. And when they called for the king, there came out to them Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebnah the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder.

And the Rabshakeh said to them, “Say to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: On what do you rest this trust of yours? Do you think that mere words are strategy and power for war? In whom do you now trust, that you have rebelled against me? Behold, you are trusting now in Egypt, that broken reed of a staff, which will pierce the hand of any man who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him. But if you say to me, “We trust in the Lord our God,” is it not he whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and to Jerusalem, “You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem”? Come now, make a wager with my master the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to set riders on them. How then can you repulse a single captain among the least of my master’s servants, when you trust in Egypt for chariots and for horsemen? Moreover, is it without the Lord that I have come up against this place to destroy it? The Lord said to me, “Go up against this land and destroy it.”’”

1 Kings 13:18   And he said to him, “I also am a prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the LORD, saying, ‘Bring him back with you into your house that he may eat bread and drink water.’” But he lied to him.

Amos 3:6    Is a trumpet blown in a city, and the people are not afraid? Does disaster come to a city, unless the LORD has done it?

John 19:10-11   So Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?”  Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.”

We have to always be mindful of lying spirits speaking lies into the hearts and minds of others speaking to us. This is always a possibility and for us to know the will of the Lord in all circumstances we must have discernment, wisdom, and understanding which can only come from God speaking into our lives and us having willing ears to hear and obedient heart and mind. We know the prince of this world is here to entice us to stay in our sinful nature and apart from God by promising things the world cannot give; such as peace, hope, satisfaction, joy, refuge, to name a few. These lies are believed by many who should know better.

When it comes to things of God and our Lord and Savior, we will not find them apart from His word, time in His word seeking and desiring to be fed, led, and rooted in His word. People will say many things and some of it may be the truth and some of it may be false. Too often we hang on words that are said from not Spirit-filled worldly people. We dwell and think about it as though it has great meaning rather than putting it into the context of “Worldly”. When it has been put into context we can then see it through the lens of scripture and know our God is above all of this and more powerful and all of this and more than able to handle of this and will encourage, empower, and guide us.

Stay close to God through His word and prayer believing in His leading and ability to lead you in thought and action.

62. I will teach you the fear of the LORD

Deuteronomy 31:12 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, and that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as you live in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess.”

Deuteronomy 29:29    “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

Psalms 34:11-14     Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.  What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good?  Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.  Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

Psalms 19:7-11     The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;  the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;  the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether.  More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.  Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

Deuteronomy 6:6-7     And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.  You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

I have thought often about “The fear of the LORD”. Many times I come up with both reverence and afraid and see both in scripture. I found this explanation from Ligonier Ministries.

We need to make some important distinctions about the biblical meaning of “fearing” God. These distinctions can be helpful, but they can also be a little dangerous. When Luther struggled with that, he made this distinction, which has since become somewhat famous: He distinguished between what he called a servile fear and a filial fear.

The servile fear is a kind of fear that a prisoner in a torture chamber has for his tormentor, the jailer, or the executioner. It’s that kind of dreadful anxiety in which someone is frightened by the clear and present danger that is represented by another person. Or it’s the kind of fear that a slave would have at the hands of a malicious master who would come with the whip and torment the slave. Servile refers to a posture of servitude toward a malevolent owner.

Luther distinguished between that and what he called filial fear, drawing from the Latin concept from which we get the idea of family. It refers to the fear that a child has for his father. In this regard, Luther is thinking of a child who has tremendous respect and love for his father or mother and who dearly wants to please them. He has a fear or an anxiety of offending the one he loves, not because he’s afraid of torture or even of punishment, but rather because he’s afraid of displeasing the one who is, in that child’s world, the source of security and love.

I think this distinction is helpful because the basic meaning of fearing the Lord that we read about in Deuteronomy is also in the Wisdom Literature, where we’re told that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” The focus here is on a sense of awe and respect for the majesty of God. That’s often lacking in contemporary evangelical Christianity. We get very flippant and cavalier with God as if we had a casual relationship with the Father. We are invited to call Him Abba, Father, and to have the personal intimacy promised to us, but still, we’re not to be flippant with God. We’re always to maintain a healthy respect and adoration for Him.

53. That the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Deuteronomy 17:18 “And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests. And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel.

Joshua 1:8     This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

Psalms 1:2     but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.

Psalms 119:97-100    Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.  Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me.  I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation.  I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precepts.

2 Timothy 3:15-17     and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.  All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,  that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

There are benefits to obeying God in reading His word and keeping it close to your heart and mind. Your faith will grow, you will begin to mature in things of God, you will recognize when you are being temped, you will recognize and become aware of sin in your life, you will begin to know the will of God for your life, you will begin to understand and experience joy, you will begin to hear the quiet whispers of God’s leading, you will begin to see the spiritual warfare in the world, you will have a better chance of not backsliding or drifting away, and you will begin to humbly serve, honor, glorify, follow, and obey God.

There really are no down sides to cherishing and reading God’s word each and every day of our life. However this are numerous downsides when God’s word is not cherished in your heart and read everyday.

45. For I know how rebellious and stubborn you are.

Deuteronomy 9:6 “Know, therefore, that the Lord your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stubborn people. Remember and do not forget how you provoked the Lord your God to wrath in the wilderness. From the day you came out of the land of Egypt until you came to this place, you have been rebellious against the Lord.

Deuteronomy 31:27     For I know how rebellious and stubborn you are. Behold, even today while I am yet alive with you, you have been rebellious against the LORD. How much more after my death!

Exodus 32:9    And the LORD said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people.

2 Chronicles 30:8    Do not now be stiff-necked as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the LORD and come to his sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever, and serve the LORD your God, that his fierce anger may turn away from you.

Psalms 78:8    and that they should not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God.

Zechariah 7:11-12     But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear.  They made their hearts diamond-hard lest they should hear the law and the words that the LORD of hosts had sent by his Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore great anger came from the LORD of hosts.

Acts 7:51    “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.

Moses called the people to remember. He wanted them to remember their rebellion, stubbornness, folly, and how they provoked the Lord. He called them out time and time again about their lack of reverence, love, trust, faith, and hope in the Lord. They so easily forgot the great things God did with His mighty hand and chose to mock Him with their disbelief, even though they saw with their own eyes all that He did and said.

Jesus called the religious ones, hypocrites, stiff-necked, self-righteous, prideful, blind, deaf, without understanding and true knowledge of God. Note He spent little time with them but did spend much of His time with the lost who had no hope. Jesus died for sinners. He had little time for those who thought they could earn their righteousness before God by what they did.

Be mindful of your heart. How do you know if you are provoking God or if your heart has grown stone hard to Him? How do you know if you are faithful if God’s word is not leading you to a deeper faith? If God’s word is not feeding your heart, mind, and soul something else will and that something else always turns our heart, mind, and soul, away from God. Our ears soon resist hearing what God is speaking into our life. Our resolve to humbly serve, honor, follow and obey is soon lost and replaced with that which seems right in our own eyes.