STUBBORN HEART
Ezra 1

A claim to have heard God speak His command is not enough, neither is it complete until the command is done. When it was time for God to deliver the children of Israel from the bondage of over four hundred years, Pharaoh repeatedly heard from God through Moses but failed to do exactly what the Lord was commanding him. Exodus 7:14-16, “So the LORD said to Moses: “Pharaoh’s heart is hard; he refuses to let the people go. 15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning, when he goes out to the water, and you shall stand by the river’s bank to meet him; and the rod which was turned to a serpent you shall take in your hand. 16 And you shall say to him, ‘The LORD God of the Hebrews has sent me to you, saying, “Let My people go, that they may serve Me in the wilderness”; but indeed, until now you would not hear!” Pharaoh had ears but could not hear because the heart that commands hearing was hard. The heart has the greatest effect in hearing and doing and when it is hard there will be no respond to God’s command. Cyrus the king of Persia could not have known God more than Pharaoh but he was able to hear and do what the Lord commanded. In the case of Cyrus, it is written concerning Cyrus, “Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, 2 Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah.” (Ezra 1:1-2) Evidently, Cyrus, the king of Persia was able to hear and do because the Lord stirred his heart. Pharaoh failed to hear because his heart was not stirred; he had a heart of stone. Many have heard from Him and not been able to do because of the state of their heart. Equally, many are hearing and doing because of the state of their heart. What is the state of your heart? Have you been getting commands from Him and not been able to do? To be stubborn is not of God and it does not have a place before God. 1 Samuel 15:23, “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you from being king.” In stubbornness, there is no minor neither is there major stubbornness. Avoid taking the way of iniquity and idolatry. Release what or who needs to be released by you or be reduced by God.

Prayer for today: Father, stir my heart to be totally obedient to your command.