Reflections
“If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts.”
Today's Psalm is about obeying and worshiping
God. We are urged to bow down in worship before
our God, whose sheep we are (remember we are His
well-tended flock). We are instructed to be alert for
His voice and to be receptive to His teachings
(we need to be good listeners).
We are not to harden our hearts or test the Lord
(as the Israelites did at Meribah).
We are to humble ourselves and open our hearts
to the Lord; having done so we are set free.
Then we are no longer constrained by the
things of this world, and we can be open to His love
and His teachings.
Moses prophesied that the Lord would speak to us
through one of our own kind (Deuteronomy 18:18).
So we had better listen to God’s son, Jesus, who
became one of us so that we could be more like Him.
His works should be sufficient to convince us of His
saving power and grace.
St Paul tells us we need to be free from anxiety and
distractions (1 Corinthians 7:32). This is not an easy
thing to do when we are caught up in the things of the
world. We would all benefit from an authoritative
cleansing of our hearts, and a removal of unclean
forces that distract us from praising the Lord.
Then we can make room for Jesus to fill our hearts
and remain in us.
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. Our psalmist encourages us not to harden our hearts if we hear God's voice.
Do you find it difficult sometimes to carry out God's will in your life even if you believe He is speaking to you? Give an example.
2. The psalm reminds us that we are like sheep and the Lord is our shepherd.
Are you willing to be just an ordinary sheep among His flock? If so, what does it
mean to you to be shepherded by the Lord?
Yes, it's sometimes difficult to carry out God's will in my life, even when I believe he is speaking to me. For example, I am sure he would love to see me prioritize him more -- truly give him the firstfruits of my day, of my budget, or of my heart. I know he desires these things for me, not for his benefit, but for mine. And yet, why is it still hard? In my case, the answer is easy -- my flesh is weak. I would rather press "snooze" and get more sleep than awake early for quiet time. Or, I spend the gift of my money shopping for the latest shoes which I don't need, rather than planning to tithe. Instead of showing others love through humble service, I easily choose pride and maintain distance from those whom I find unloveable.
ReplyDeleteAm I so different from the Israelites at Meribah? I think to myself that I don't harden my heart, and that I would choose better. However, a sobering look in the mirror shows my weakness in perhaps not fully trusting God to take care of me.
I pray that the truth I know in my head, that his plan surely is best, can sink into my heart.