One Message, Two Responses
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John. But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.”
Luke 7:29–30
The powerful preaching of John the Baptist as he prepared the people for the coming Messiah drew large crowds of people. Yet even though the message they heard was the same, there were very different responses. Some gladly repented and were baptized, while others refused the message because they were unwilling to change from their self-righteous ways and acknowledge that they needed God’s forgiveness for their sins.
If you take a bag of carrots and a half dozen eggs and put them together into a pot of boiling water, they have opposite reactions. The carrots will become soft and tender, while the eggs will harden. The same is true of the response to fire with wax and clay. The wax will melt, but the clay will harden. The difference is not found in the medium of these testing, but in the nature of the material. So it is with our hearts.
Some people endure great hardship and suffering in their lives, but their faith is made stronger and their spirit sweeter. Others endure very similar circumstances but become angry and bitter at God for allowing bad things to happen to them. The difference is determined by the condition of our hearts. That is why it is so vital for us to make sure that we remain tender to the things of God. If we do not, spiritual tragedy and divine judgment will certainly follow. “Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts” (Zechariah 7:12).
Luke 7:29–30
The powerful preaching of John the Baptist as he prepared the people for the coming Messiah drew large crowds of people. Yet even though the message they heard was the same, there were very different responses. Some gladly repented and were baptized, while others refused the message because they were unwilling to change from their self-righteous ways and acknowledge that they needed God’s forgiveness for their sins.
If you take a bag of carrots and a half dozen eggs and put them together into a pot of boiling water, they have opposite reactions. The carrots will become soft and tender, while the eggs will harden. The same is true of the response to fire with wax and clay. The wax will melt, but the clay will harden. The difference is not found in the medium of these testing, but in the nature of the material. So it is with our hearts.
Some people endure great hardship and suffering in their lives, but their faith is made stronger and their spirit sweeter. Others endure very similar circumstances but become angry and bitter at God for allowing bad things to happen to them. The difference is determined by the condition of our hearts. That is why it is so vital for us to make sure that we remain tender to the things of God. If we do not, spiritual tragedy and divine judgment will certainly follow. “Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts” (Zechariah 7:12).
Today’s Growth Principle:
Keep your heart soft toward the things of God, and you will respond to the events of life properly.
Fellowship with the Lord
by Joyce Meyer - posted February 27, 2016Then you will seek Me, inquire for, and require Me [as a vital necessity] and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
—Jeremiah 29:13
No matter how many principles and formulas you and I learn, we will never have lasting victory in our Christian life without spending time in personal, private fellowship with the Lord. The victory is not in methods; it is in God. If we are to live victoriously, we are going to have to look beyond ways to eliminate our problems and find the Lord in the midst of our problems.
The good news is that when we set aside time with God, He meets with us. We can be grateful, knowing that when we seek Him, we will find Him. God has a personalized plan for each of us, a plan that will lead us to victory. That is why principles, formulas, and methods are not the ultimate answer, because they do not allow for the individual differences in people. As good as all these things may be as general guidelines, they are not substitutes for personal fellowship with the Living God.
Prayer of Thanks: Thank You, Father, that I can meet with You at any time of the day or night. You’re always here for me and You desire to spend time with me. Your Word says that when I seek You, I will find You. So help me, Lord, to find You in every part of my life today
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