+DEV+ Hard as a Hickory Nut

Date: April 11, 2010 9:44 PM
Topic: +DEV+ Hard as a Hickory Nut

Hard as a Hickory Nut

"Come, let us bow down in worship ‘for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture’ Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts..." (Psalm 95:6-8).
Scripture Focus: Psalm 96:1-9

Every fall our family would go out on the farm to gather the various nuts. I loved that part of our autumn traditions. My Mom used hickory nuts in baking, and I can remember helping her get the meat out of the shells. It was painstaking work; not worth it, I concluded. (Of course, I loved the cookies and cakes she baked later with those nuts!)

One summer I tamed a squirrel so that he would take hickory nuts from my hand. I would watch in amazement as he handily opened those hard shells with only his teeth. Hickory nuts are remarkably hard, and so are people's hearts when they refuse to hear the voice of the Lord. Many a friend or relative may try to "crack open" that hard heart, but only Jesus will "remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh" (Ezekiel 36:26).

We must guard against hardening our hearts. Daily communication with God keeps our hearts soft and ready. Let us open our hearts to Jesus every day and see how He replaces our hearts of stone with hearts inclined toward Him.

Insight: There is no good enough reason on earth to harden our hearts. But there are millions of reasons to keep our hearts soft.