Pastor Gary's OYB Devotion Archive for November 1

HARD OR HEARING HEART?

From: November 1, 2023

“Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled” (Hebrews 3:15 NLT).

This verse is a quotation of Psalm 95:8. It was a reference to Israel’s forty years of wilderness wanderings because of their unbelief. They did not believe God’s promise to give them the Promised Land when ten of the twelve spies brought back a negative report. They rebelled against God and hardened their hearts. So God let them wander in the wilderness until that whole generation died out. Hebrews used this historical reference to remind its readers not to harden their hearts against hearing the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Hearing and listening are not the same. Our ears may hear a sound without tuning in to understand. But listening goes to the heart and produces understanding. This understanding at the heart level makes it possible to respond to God’s voice with faith and obedience. This is why Jesus began so many of His teachings with the saying, “He that has ears to hear, let him hear.”

What causes hard hearts? Hearing God’s voice, yet turning away in unbelief. This continual turning away, instead of turning towards, results in callused hearts and spiritual deafness. And God views it as rebellion and willful unbelief.

How do you answer Christ’s voice today? Do you have a tender heart with spiritual ears to hear?

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for the gospel and for giving us ears to hear it. We have received it with faith and joy. Strengthen us and direct us this day by Your Spirit that we might always hear Your voice and obey. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“Son of man, let all my words sink deep into your own heart first. Listen to them carefully for yourself. Then go to your people” (Ezekiel 3:10-11 NLT).

From: November 1, 2022

LET GOD’S WORD SINK DEEPLY INTO YOUR HEART FIRST

When God gave a word to Ezekiel, he was instructed to receive it into his own heart first, before sharing it with other people. This is still the best instruction for those that would share God’s Word with others. First apply it to your own heart and life, before delivering it to others! The one who does this will find their own hearts set aflame before speaking. It also removes much of the risk of seeming hypocritical in application.

After receiving God’s word into his heart, Ezekiel was sent to preach to his people. He was not to concern himself with results. For whether they heard, or refused to hear, he was to preach, “Thus saith the Lord!”

PRAYER: Dear Father, we receive Your Word. Your Word is truth. Sanctify us by Your Word. Fill us with Your Spirit and send us to declare Your Word to others. Help us to focus on obedience to You and not results. For You are the only One who can change human hearts and open human ears. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion” (Hebrews 3:15 HCSB).

From: November 1, 2021

HARD HEART OR HEARING HEART?

This verse is a quotation of Psalm 95:8. It was a reference to Israel’s forty years of wilderness wanderings because of their unbelief. They did not believe God’s promise to give them the Promised Land when ten of the twelve spies brought back a negative report. They rebelled against God and hardened their hearts. So God let them wander in the wilderness until that whole generation died out. Hebrews used this historical reference to remind its readers not to harden their hearts against hearing the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Hearing and listening are not the same. Our ears may hear a sound without tuning in to understand. But listening goes to the heart and produces understanding. This understanding at the heart level makes it possible to respond to God’s voice with faith and obedience. This is why Jesus began so many of His teachings with the saying, “He that has ears to hear, let him hear.”

What causes hard hearts? Hearing God’s voice, yet turning away in unbelief. This continual turning away, instead of turning towards, results in callused hearts and spiritual deafness. And God views it as rebellion and willful unbelief.

How do you answer Christ’s question today? Do you have ears to hear?

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for the gospel and for giving us ears to hear it. We have received it with faith and joy. Strengthen us and direct us this day by Your Spirit that we might always hear Your voice and obey. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“Son of man, receive into your heart all My words that I speak to you, and hear with your ears. And go, get to the captives, to the children of your people, and speak to them and tell them, ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ whether they hear, or whether they refuse” (Ezekiel 3:10-11 NKJV).

From: November 1, 2020

HAVE YOU RECEIVED GOD’S WORD INTO YOUR HEART?

When God gave a word to Ezekiel, he was instructed to receive it into his own heart, before sharing it with other people. This is still the best instruction for those that would answer the call to be preachers and teachers of God’s Word. They should always first apply it to their own hearts and lives before delivering it to others. The preacher or teacher who does this will find their hearts set aflame for the task. And will remove much of the risk of seeming hypocritical in application.

After receiving God’s word into his heart, Ezekiel was sent to preach to his people. He was not to concern himself with results. For whether they heard, or refused to hear, he was to preach, “Thus saith the Lord!”

PRAYER: Dear Father, we receive Your Word. Your Word is truth. Sanctify us by Your Word. Fill us with Your Spirit and send us to declare Your Word to others. Help us to focus on obedience to You and not results. For You are the only One who can change human hearts and open human ears. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“Son of man, eat what you find; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” (Ezekiel 3:1 NKJV).

From: November 2, 2017

The Lord gave the prophet Ezekiel a three-part calling: 1) Eat the scroll containing His Word, 2) go to Israel, and 3) preach the Word to Israel. When Ezekiel ate the scroll, it tasted like “honey.” But as he prepared to go to Israel to preach, the Lord warned him that the people would not listen. Yet, the Lord still expected him to preach whether they heard or refused to hear. He was to focus on internalizing the Word and preaching the Word. The results were up to God.

This is still the preacher’s task. Study, preach and leave the results up to God.

“And whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house)

From: November 1, 2016

they will know that a prophet has been among them” (Ezekiel 2:5 ESV).
Ezekiel was thirty years old when God called him to be a prophet. God cautioned him not to base his sense of success on how the people responded, but on whether he was obedient to speak the Word to them. We can’t control whether others “hear or refuse to hear,” but we can determine to obey and share God’s Word ourselves. God doesn’t call us to be successful. God calls us to be faithful.

“So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief” (Hebrews 3:19 NKJV)

From: November 1, 2015

Just as the Israelites wandered the wilderness for 40 years and died because they didn’t believe that God could give them rest in the promised land, so today unbelief keeps people from entering God’s rest. This rest is not a place, but a person, for Christ is God’s sabbath rest. Those who come to Him believing will find rest for their souls. They can stop their wandering and enter in believing.

“Son of man, let all my words sink deep into your own heart first. Listen to them carefully for yourself. Then go to your people in exile and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says!’ Do this whether they listen to you or not” (Ezekiel 3:10-11 ESV)

From: November 1, 2014

When God gave a word to Ezekiel, he was instructed to apply it to his “own heart first,” before sharing it with other people. This is still the best instruction for those that would answer the call to be preachers and teachers of God’s Word. They should always first apply it to their own hearts and lives before delivering it to others. The preacher or teacher who does this will find their hearts set afire for the task. And will remove much of the risk of seeming hypocritical in application. Let the word “sink deep” in you before telling others!

“As it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts” (Hebrews 3:15)

From: November 1, 2013

Hearing and listening are not the same. Our ears may hear a sound without tuning in to understand. But listening goes to the heart and produces understanding. This understanding at the heart level makes it possible to respond to God’s voice. What causes hard hearts? Hearing God’s voice without leaning in to understand and reply with obedience. This continual turning away instead of turning towards results in callused hearts and spiritual deafness.

“On July 31 of my thirtieth year, while I was with the Judean exiles beside the Kebar River in Babylon, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God” (Ezekiel 1:1)

From: November 1, 2012

Ezekiel saw his first vision when he was 30. The 30th year was significant in Jewish life: The Levites began Temple service at 30. Jesus began his public ministry at age 30. On July 12 of 1988 I turned 30. God used this verse in Ezekiel to confirm my call to preach. I thought I had waited too long, but God showed me that it was just the right time.