Deuteronomy 8:5 NIV“Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you.” 

Deuteronomy 8:5 KJV“Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, [so] the LORD thy God chasteneth thee.”

According to the Lexicon Transliteration, chasten is derived from the Hebrew word yacar and means to chasten, discipline, instruct, admonish.  Yacar is a verb and involves actions.  One could literally say it means to chasten, to admonish, to instruct, to discipline or to let oneself be chastened or corrected or admonished. 

There are two different directions one could take on this week’s note.  To be honest, I’m not sure my thinking is on the right track with this passage.  I could head down a path of how the LORD disciplines those He loves or I can discuss what it means to have a disciplined and teachable heart.  I’ll choose the later. 

What does it mean to have a disciplined, teachable heart?

According to the Dictionary.com Unabridged, disciplined means training expected to produce a specific character or pattern of behavior; especially training that produces moral or mental improvement.  

Some of the most successful people are disciplined individuals.  It helps if your personality lends itself to allowing and being disciplined. Others are not so disciplined.  It is not different with our hearts.  In ministry and with my interaction with men, some are very disciplined and teachable, some not so.  I would be wrong if I failed to mention that humility plays a humongous role in determining if one’s heart will be disciplined and teachable.  From what I can tell, that five letter word pride stands in the heart’s gateway and determines just how disciplined and teachable the heart will be.   

What prevents one from having a disciplined teachable heart? 

Echoing the words of the profit Isaiah, Matthew says in 13:15 the following words:  (NIV)  

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.' 

This passage does a very good job explaining what prevents one’s heart from being teachable and disciplined.  

 Many things can cause a heart to become calloused.  However, pride has to be at the top of the list. 

 Pride says, “I will no be broken.”

Pride says, “It has to be my way.”

Pride says, “Not only is it my way, there no room to even consider yours.”

Pride says, “I’m right.”

Pride says, “I can continue in my hidden sin and it will never become known and it’s no body’s business.”

Pride says, “I’m am one person at church and another one in the business world.”

Pride says, “I know what scripture says but that portion does not apply to me.”

Pride says, “In my important position, there are times I must do some things behind closed doors that are not moral, ethical, biblical and legal…but it’s ultimately for the Kingdom.” 

Pride says, “I don’t care who I hurt on my way up the corporate and religious ladder of success.”

Pride says, “It’s everyone else’s heart issue.”

Pride says….we could go on and on but I won’t. 

The point is, the eyes of our hearts must be open to who we are in Christ and our ears open wide to hear His directions.  Until those two conditions are met, you and I will not have a disciplined and teachable heart.  Without it, my friend, we will never be the child of God He desires us to become.   

Join with me to praise God for the following and to pray for the following:

1.      Praise God for His faithfulness.  Even in our Faithfull less, He is faithful and is pressing, molding and forming PureHeart Ministries for this time, this generation and this season.  Praise Him for what our God can do when we let Him.

2.       I praise God for ministry opportunities he provides. 

3.      Pray for the men partnering with us in ministry.  Pray they will have their eyes and ears of their hearts opened.  Continue to pray for the men who have since graduated and are serving in ministry from coast to coast.  There is never a time in which man does not need the open and honest transparent accountability they experienced while partnering with PHM in Bartlesville. 

4.      Continue to pray for Ryan, Brad and me.  Pray for our marriages, our children and our homes.  Pray against anything that comes against God’s plan and will for us as men and ministry leaders.

5.      Pray for me.  I’m undertaking a monumental task in 2009.  I’ll share more at a later time.  Pray for continual anointing, guidance and openness as I proceed. 

Sharing from the Heart;

Steve 

Ps.  I have to share a recent event that took place with you as our prayer partners since you were indirectly involved in a massive way and deserve the “thank you” too.  I had a spouse of one of our young men thank me for my influence in her husband’s life.  She shared with me the openness, honesty and transparence he experienced with PureHeart continues to bless their marriage!  Through tears, I simply said, Thank you.  I repeat the same words to you, faithful prayer warriors: “Thank you for your faithful prayers though the years.”