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Topic: Without Ceasing
[DCLM Daily Manna 25 February 2019 Daily Devotional by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi]
Text: Exodus 9:27-35 (KJV)
Key Verse: “And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, neither would he let the children of Israel go; as the LORD had spoken by Moses” (Exodus 9:35).
MESSAGE:
A woman was in hospital for a heart surgery. After the successful operation, the heart would not start beating. The doctor massaged the heart to get it going and even tried using other procedures, but nothing worked. In an act of desperation, the surgeon knelt down beside the patient and said: “This is your surgeon. The operation went perfectly and your heart has been repaired, but you need to tell your heart to beat again.” Immediately, her heart began beating! The patient needed to cooperate with him. By an act of her will, she had to start her own heart beating.
Pharoah, king of Egypt resisted God’s command to let Israel go. The Lord had to forcefully deliver Israel by sending plagues upon Egypt. It was the seventh plague. The hail and fire had smitten everything in the field – man, beast, herbs and trees. Pharaoh, as usual after each disaster, would plead with Moses to “intreat” the Lord for him to stop the plagues. This time, he confirmed that he had sinned; his people were wicked and the Lord was righteous (verse 27). Yet, his heart was hardened as predicted by the Lord.
The symptoms of hardened hearts as highlighted by Jesus in Mark 8:17,18 are: inability to perceive; to understand; to see; to hear; and to remember. The sensitivity of the heart is determined by what it is focused upon. Conversely, whatever you fail to consider, your heart becomes hardened to. Being hardened is the devil’s strategy to derail the believer, as it leads to lukewarmness, backsliding and outright departure from the faith. The good news is that this condition can be reversed. It requires repentance, study of the Scriptures, soul-winning, living righteously, prayers and watchfulness. You have the power to determine what your heart accepts or rejects. Your heart is in your hand; focus it on God and His Word so that it will always beat for Him.
Thought For The Day: The heart focused on God will never cease to beat.
The Bible In One Year: Luke 22
