Topic: Don’t Harden Your Heart: Yield to God [Church of God Mission International] Above Only Daily Devotional 4 July 2021
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Above Only Devotional
Sunday, July 04
Don’t Harden Your Heart: Yield to God
Hebrews 3:15 (LB), Hebrews 11:11 (TPT), Ephesians 3:20-21a
But now is the time. Never forget the warning, “Today if you hear God’s voice speaking to you, do not harden your hearts against him, as the people of Israel did when they rebelled against him in the desert.” *Sarah’s faith embraced God’s miracle power to conceive even though she was barren and was past the age of childbearing, for the authority of her faith rested in the One who made the promise, and she tapped into his faithfulness. *Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think… be the glory…
On their way to the promise land, the Israelites had to pass through a wilderness. In this wilderness there were times when they allowed the challenges they were facing to harden their hearts towards God, refusing to believe what God was saying to them. Instead of yielding to what God was saying to them by faith, sadly they chose to walk by their sight or senses and doubted/resisted God’s word to them. Similarly, there will be times that the challenges we are facing will also tempt us to doubt and resist God’s word to us. However, in such times, if we can yield to God by trusting and believing in Him even though it does not make sense to us in that moment, we will emerge from that wilderness experience and enter into the promised Land or provisions that God has prepared for us.
We must be careful not to allow the fact that we are going through a wilderness or valley of the shadow of death cause us to doubt or harden our hearts against God. One way to avoid this is by choosing to take our eyes off what we are going through and instead, place them on God. This, in and of itself, is an act of worship. In addition, lift up your hands in surrender to God. Rejoice in God and worship Him for who He is. Declare the power and the glory of God. Declare that God is faithful. Declare that God is able! As you do this, you will experience joy and the strength of God to go through that wilderness and to be productive and prosperous, even in that situation. Do not grow bitter. Do not blame yourself, anything or anybody. Consider what you are going through an experience which God will cause to work out for your good in ways you cannot even imagine. Yield to God. Your victory will manifest.
Prayer:
I surrender myself to you, Father. I take my eyes off all am going through. I worship and adore you for you are all powerful. I believe you, Lord.
Bible in One Year Reading Plan
2 Kings 23:31-25:30, Acts 22:17-23:10, Psalm 2:1-12, Proverbs 18:13