Bullheaded

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Today’s Passage – Isaiah 48 – 52 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)

(Second Milers also read – John 13 – 14; Psalms 46 – 50; Proverbs 10)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 61:1 – 3

Read the “0810 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass;” – (Isaiah 48:4)

“Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.” – (Isaiah 48:10)

There is a man in our church who often tells me stories about his childhood and his relationship with his dad growing up. His dad was a great man who had the uncommon ability to demonstrate love and tenderness but could also be very strong, and was not afraid to correct his children when necessary. When this man was a teenager, he and his dad would sometimes butt heads. His dad would say to him, “Son, you have a pretty hard head, but that’s OK because I am going to soften it up for you.” I think this is exactly the idea found in our text today. God was telling Israel that they were “bull headed,” but He knew how to take care of that problem.

Stubborn, stiff-necked, bull headed: these are all words that are synonymous to the words that God used to describe Israel in Isaiah 48:4. They are also words that could be used to describe most of us. We are a stubborn lot by nature. We are very slow to learn, yet quick to declare that we are right. We are not very teachable, because we think that we know everything that there is to know. God oftentimes is forced to soften us up through the vehicle of affliction. Isn’t it amazing that we tend to learn much better while enduring a trial than we do when we are on the mountaintop. If fact, many people come to Christ at times in their life when they are going through a tough time. God often has to break us before He can teach us. If you find yourself going through an unusually difficult season in your life, it may just be that God is working “in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure”. (Phillippians 2:13) He may be trying to get you to see something that you could not see otherwise. God loves you but whom He loves, He corrects; and correction is good; it helps us yield to a God who knows much better about what is good for us.

“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” – (James 1:2-4)

“Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.” – (Hosea 10:12)


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Desiree Ann Jones
Desiree Ann Jones
7 months ago

amen pastor phil i do agree with you. on this. being hard headed and stubborn comes along way. but you can realize that god will change you around to a different person in life. god has chosen us to be his children. and god loves us so much. because we can take things the wrong way. you have given us the light of the world you have shown us god is truly special. the one and only god.

Bob Fenton
Bob Fenton
7 months ago

Amen Pastor. There was a time when I was going in a wrong direction I was married had a wonderful wife a beautiful baby son. I was spiraling down to a point of self destruction. I was stubborn and bullheaded enjoying my ungodly lifestyle. My wife Jane finally told me if I didn’t straighten out don’t bother coming home. Sometimes we have to hit the bottom before we can get to the top. it wasn’t until a family member witness to me and Jane and we excepted the Lord Jesus as our Lord and Savior in her church. Like the post.

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