Hard hearts hinder hearing

Was S.O.A.P.ing in Acts 28 today and came across these thoughts from Paul as he was in Rome to be tried before Caesar.


Acts 28:24 (NLT)
24 Some were persuaded by the things he said, but others did not believe.



Acts 28:27 (NLT)
27 For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes— so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’

It's always interesting to me why some people seem to 'get it' while some don't.  I know there are not simple answers but Paul seems to express a great thought here that I was personally challenged by this morning.  Have you ever felt like you were one of those who just didn't get it sometimes? I have.  I don't want to be one of those people who is not persuaded by those that God has put into my life for my good.

Hard hearts keep us from hearing His voice and seeing His hand.

• That tells me that we see and hear with our hearts and not our physical ears and eyes.
• Hearing and seeing God are spiritual senses that operate parrallel to our physical senses.  
• Hardening our hearts actually causes us to lose the ability to hear God and see what He's up to.
• If you are having trouble seeing God's hand or hearing God's voice, perhaps it could be a hard heart issue.

Hard hearted means to have a heart that is not easily moved

• If we don't respond when the Holy Spirit speaks to us, we can get hard hearted.
• If we don't choose to spend time with the Lord, we can get hard hearted.
• If we purposefully disobey and rebel against the Lord, we can get hard hearted.
• Refusing to listen to those people the Lord has put into our lives for our good can cause a heart to be hardened.

Our promise from the Lord is that He will heal us when we turn to Him.

• Something happens when we say, Lord I need you.
• Turning to Him may just mean doing the thing that you know you need to do.
• Today, turn to God, turn away from trying to figure it out alone and He will heal you.
• He is the healer of our lives, whatever is broken, He can heal it.
• He can't heal until we turn towards Him.