The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?"
He replied, "Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. This is why I speak to them in parables:
"Though seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or understand.
In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
"'You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
For this people's heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.'
But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it."
Matthew 13-10-17
Oh, the difference between a calloused and an awakened heart! Callouses develop in the natural as our flesh responds to harsh irritations, building up thick and hard layers to protect the body. The human heart can do the same, responding to trials of life, without the presence of the majestic, awesome Lord. He is our Defense, Strong Tower, we are meant to dwell in His Shadow, to cast all our cares on Him.
Having gone from a tender heart to a calloused one, and back again (PRAISE THE LORD), in reading the Word here I realized that in my previously backslidden condition and hardened heart that I had lost the ability to hear the Kol Dodi, the voice of my Bridegroom, and in fact, I could not even understand the Scriptures. If I did take a second to look in my bible it just didn't sink in... The Word of Life had become just words... The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom had been taken away.
My total capitulation and surrender back to my First Love, and the shattering of my hardened heart was the thing that enabled me to "see and hear", gave me back that "hunger and thirst for the things of God, and ultimately bring about my healing. God "leads the captives and gives good gifts" to us- He desires to say to us often, "Come up here, I have something to show you", as He reveals tiny, but breathtaking glimpses of His Glory. We then have the privilege of personal relationship of our Abba/Bridegroom/Master/Lord that even Prophets and the righteous longed for...
It's all about the heart, it's always about the heart...examine yours today.
He replied, "Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. This is why I speak to them in parables:
"Though seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or understand.
In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
"'You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
For this people's heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.'
But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it."
Matthew 13-10-17
Oh, the difference between a calloused and an awakened heart! Callouses develop in the natural as our flesh responds to harsh irritations, building up thick and hard layers to protect the body. The human heart can do the same, responding to trials of life, without the presence of the majestic, awesome Lord. He is our Defense, Strong Tower, we are meant to dwell in His Shadow, to cast all our cares on Him.
Having gone from a tender heart to a calloused one, and back again (PRAISE THE LORD), in reading the Word here I realized that in my previously backslidden condition and hardened heart that I had lost the ability to hear the Kol Dodi, the voice of my Bridegroom, and in fact, I could not even understand the Scriptures. If I did take a second to look in my bible it just didn't sink in... The Word of Life had become just words... The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom had been taken away.
My total capitulation and surrender back to my First Love, and the shattering of my hardened heart was the thing that enabled me to "see and hear", gave me back that "hunger and thirst for the things of God, and ultimately bring about my healing. God "leads the captives and gives good gifts" to us- He desires to say to us often, "Come up here, I have something to show you", as He reveals tiny, but breathtaking glimpses of His Glory. We then have the privilege of personal relationship of our Abba/Bridegroom/Master/Lord that even Prophets and the righteous longed for...
It's all about the heart, it's always about the heart...examine yours today.
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