Memorise: The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will. Prov. 21:1
Devotional Reading: Proverbs 21:1-31
When God leaves someone, the person enters into bondage. A life without God is on its own. In 1 Samuel 16:14 Saul got a negative transplant turning his heart to becone stony because his heart was not pleasing to God “But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.” Anytime you yield to any advice to indulge in whatever can grieve God, you are a displeasure to God, if care is not taken, that heart will become a stony heart, I pray that it will not be your portion in Jesus name.
Why does hearts become stony? If you persistently disobey the laws of God, if you are in wrong associations or evil companionship, if you continuously fail to read your bible or pray, if you stay away from God’s presence continually for a long period, you could lose your heart of flesh and possess heart of stone because that heart is not pleasing to God. An example was king Nebuchadnezzar, a spiritual surgical operation was performed on him, his human heart was taken away and replaced with a stony heart i.e, the heart of a beast. Why? Because God was not pleased with him. “Dan. 4:16. This tells us that the heart can easily change its nature or form depending on what it is exposed to Prov.4:23
Another negative heart condition occur when the Spirit of God have left someone, that heart is exchanged from heart of flesh to stone. But God wants us to have heart of flesh, read Ezekiel 11:19 And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh” How can we have a heart of flesh? It is by giving our life to Jesus, He is a merciful God, so we must strive to be like hum by having bowels of mercy, we must read our bible and pray regularly, we must have the love of God and love for man in our hearts, we must be ready to take correction and easily amend our ways and right the wrongs.
Some people had their hearts darkened and not pleasing to God because they failed to appreciate and glorify God in their hearts, instead, they freely engage in evil imaginations . If you take whatever God does for you for granted, you will be walking your way into a negative heart condition which is not pleasing to God. Being ungrateful and unappreciative has a negative impact on the human heart.
What is the state of your heart today? Have you become irresponsive to the word of God? Do you sin, yet do not feel condemned? You are a victim of a negative heart condition, God is not pleased with such heart. I pray that the almighty God will deliver you today, remove any stony heart and give you heart of flesh in Jesus name.
Prayer point: O LORD, give me a heart that is pleasing to you today in Jesus name.
Key Dose: Guard your heart, for out of it proceeds the issues of life.
Pastor James Ademuyiwa
Senior Pastor (IHPCT)
