Deuteronomy 15:10 NIV

“Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.”  

The state or condition of one’s heart is truly at the core of man, every thought, every motive and every action.  I trust you are finding this writing series to be educational as well as enlightening.  I know I am.  Who would have ever stopped to think of all the heart conditions that exist and to what extent they influence us.  I’m finding this very interesting and fascinating.  Not only for my own understanding but also to help me in my personal relationships with other.  

Various translations use a different word instead of the “grudging.” King James uses grieved, DBY uses evil-disposed and YNG uses sad. 

The King James Version will be what we break down in our attempt to understand what it means to have a grudging heart. 

“Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy works and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto.” 

The word for grieved is derived from the Hebrew word yara’ which means to tremble, quiver, according to the Hebrew Transliteration. 

The heart of man can tremble, quiver.

The word grudging means to display or reflect reluctance or unwillingness.  Piecing this together, it would combine the heart condition of a reluctant, unwilling, trembling heart.  

This verse relates that heart condition in light of giving.  However, I’d like to suggest that the heart can be grudging towards God in other ways, too.  From PureHeart’s beginning, God has continued to speak to us in themes.  One of the themes that continues it that of obedience and how important immediate obedience is to man’s relationship with Him and His kingdom purpose for each of us.   

Have you ever had a grudging heart when it came to obedience?  I know I have.  I can also relate to a trembling reluctant heart when it comes resisting temptation.  Time and time again, the following passage surfaces in our group discussions.  We’ll have to study it in deeper detail later. 

Romans 7:17-19 (New International Version) 

“As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[Or my flesh] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.” 

Can you relate? 

I want to share how man can DIE in order to overcome a grudging heart.

Decide in your heart and mind to obey.  Regardless of what God is speaking to you.  Decide before being faced with the command to willingly obey.

Immediately carry out what God’s asking you to do.  If it’s giving, give.  If it’s turning off your computer, turn it off.  If it’s serving, serve with a willing heart.

Encourage others.  Enjoy the blessings that flow from the decision to immediately obey.  If we have eyes that can see and hearts that understand, one does not have to look far to find individuals who will be encouraged by what God is doing in your life.  

Share with me as you put into practice and DIE this week.  Let me know how it transforms a grudging heart and how others respond.  Your responses and stories are encouragement to me. 

Join me this week with the following praises and prayer requests. 

1.      The PureHeart Prayer team has several traveling domestically as well as internationally.  Please pray and ask God to be with them in their travels and bless their ministry work.

2.      Praise God for His love for each one of us. 

 3.      Praise God for men and women who intentionally seek to have pure hearts and clean hands!

4.      Continue to pray for our various home church families.  The Body is full of hurting people.  Pray for them, pray for opportunities to minister PHM to those who would benefit from what God is doing in and through PHM.

5.      Continue to pray for OWU, the administration, faculty and the students both present and past. 

6.      Pray for Brad, Ryan and me.  Pray for our wives, marriages and our children.

7.      Pray for our upcoming board meeting and open house.

 Sharing from the Heart;

Steve