Choosing a Teachable Heart

[caption id="attachment_1816" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Erich Ferdinand, Some Rights Reserved[/caption]

 

Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side to Bethsaida, while He Himself was sending the crowd away.  After bidding them farewell, He left for the mountain to pray.  When it was evening, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and He was alone on the land. Seeing them straining at the oars, for the wind was against them, at about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea; and He intended to pass by them. But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were terrified. But immediately He spoke with them and said to them, “Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid.” Then He got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped; and they were utterly astonished,  for they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves, but their heart was hardened. ~Mark 6:45-52

 

Did you see that?  They were utterly astonished because they hadn't gained any insight from seeing Jesus feed five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fish.  They hadn't learned anything!

You'd think that the miracle that had taken place would have changed the disciples forever, but it didn't.  Why?  The Word says that it was because their hearts were hardened.  They were set on believing the way they had always thought - a common sense, man centered sort of way.

How many times have we done the very same thing?

In my own life this came in the form of how I thought about my kid and college.  Why did I think that my children must attend college or they would be doomed to a life of toil and hard labor?   (As though the world doesn't need mechanics, carpenters, machinists, and a host of other very necessary occupations.  Or that God would not provide for my child in whatever vocation in which He called him? <sighs>)  In this instance, I had listened more to American cultural expectations than I did to the voice of God, as I considered my oldest son's strengths, interests and ambitions.

 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways

acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.~Proverbs 3:5-6

 

For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became

futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.~Romans 1:21

 

We all get hooked into a set way of thinking that may not reflect the truth from time to time. That's the easy part. (Hence, the reason that five loaves of bread feeding five thousand people was apparently, unremarkable to the folks that loved Jesus the most!)  This is why it is so very important to do the hard work of being in relationship with Jesus.  It is imperative to spend time in His word, meditating on His truth and submitting to His instruction and encouragement.  In this we can walk in the light of Christ and SEE the truth.

 

⁵ This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. ⁶ If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not

practice the truth. ~1 John 1:5-6

 

It comes down to a choice.  Will I go about my life with blinders on, leaning on my own understanding, or will I actively choose to have a teachable and submissive heart?  Let's ask Him to remove our hearts of stone.  He is faithful.

 

And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.~Ezekiel 36:26

 

Grateful for grace,