SORRY, WE’RE CLOSED
“OPEN YOUR HEART to FOLLOW HIS LEAD”
Exodus 4:21-23, 21 “And the Lord told Moses, “When you arrive back in Egypt, go to Pharaoh and perform all the miracles I have empowered you to do. But I will harden his heart so he will refuse to let the people go. 22 Then you will tell him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son. 23 I commanded you, “Let my son go, so he can worship me.” But since you have refused, I will now kill your firstborn son!’”
It is impossible to accept the truth of the Gospel and God’s love for us when our hearts are hardened. We see examples of hardened hearts all through Exodus. First, Pharoah’s heart was hardened despite the signs and wonders that God performed through Moses, and then we see how the hearts of the Israelites were also hardened. They longed for the things of Egypt, remembering only the bounty but not the hardship. Our hearts must be open to what God is doing in every aspect of our lives so we can follow Him to the fullest.
Hebrews 3:7-14, 7 “That is why the Holy Spirit says, ‘Today when you hear his voice,
8 don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled, when they tested me in the wilderness.
9 There your ancestors tested and tried my patience, even though they saw my miracles for forty years.
10 So I was angry with them, and I said, ‘Their hearts always turn away from me. They refuse to do what I tell them.’
11 So in my anger I took an oath: ‘They will never enter my place of rest.’”
12 Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters.[f] Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God.13 You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. 14 For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ.”
It is only when our hearts are open and softened that we can follow where God is leading. This passage also highlights the importance of community. We are called to “warn each other every day” to stand together and not be deceived by the lies of the enemy.
Romans 2:13-15, 13 “For merely listening to the law doesn’t make us right with God. It is obeying the law that makes us right in his sight.14 Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. 15 They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right.”
This is a reminder of the parable of the seed and how it fell on different soil. Let our hearts be open so that when the seeds of the gospel are planted in our hearts, they grow to produce a rich crop because they fell on fertile soil. Receiving is not enough; we must allow what we have heard motivate us to act in obedience to all that God is calling us to do.
OBEDIENCE LEADS TO BLESSING. THESE BLESSINGS MAY NOT LOOK THE WAY WE PLAN, BUT WE CAN TRUST WHAT GOD IS DOING. GOD SEES THE ENDING AND EVERYTHING WE WILL ENCOUNTER ALONG THE WAY. GOD WILL PROTECT AND GUIDE US ON THE PATH FOR OUR GOOD AND HIS GLORY.
James 4:7-10, 7” So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. 9 Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy.10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.”
James reminds us that when we open our hearts to follow where God is leading us, when we abide in Him, He draws near to us. God is always present, always available, but when our hearts are not open, we are the source of the disconnect, not God. Once we realize this, we are to repent in humility and God will be right there, to lift us up in the middle of our mess.
Psalm 1:1-2, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
2 but his delight is in the law[b] of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.”
The Psalmist knows the blessings, the delight, experienced when we open our hearts to follow God’s lead. The Bible is where we find instruction and counsel, and that is why it is so important to spend time studying it for ourselves – to meditate on it “day and night.”
PUTTING THIS INTO PRACTICE
We are better positioned to receive God’s blessings when our hearts are open to following His lead. Joy is found in obeying His commands.
Read Psalm 112.
Which blessing stands out to you the most? Have you ever experienced any of these blessings?
Share with your small group how you have seen the truth of this passage fulfilled in your life.
Can you think of a time when your heart was hardened like Pharoah… a time when you saw God moving, but still refused to open your heart to Him?
What was it that finally broke through and softened your heart?
How can you share your testimony of this softening with those around you?
Read Jeremiah 29:13. What are ways you can seek God with all your heart?
Isaiah 55:8-9 says, “My thoughts are not like your thoughts.” What does this passage mean in your life?
Write out a prayer asking God to reveal any areas where your heart needs to be opened.
Read 1 Timothy 2:1-6. What verse or verses resonate with your spirit today? Write them out to post as a reminder.
Let God guide you in sharing how He has softened your heart with someone in your circle. Pray 1 Timothy 2:1-6 as you seek with whom and how to share. Let your open hearts lead you to following Jesus’ example.
