Mark 16:14

Mark 16:14: “Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen.”

A hardened heart is no small thing. It can keep a Christian from believing what God has said and lead them into sinful attitudes and actions. That is why the Bible warns us to “keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23).

After Jesus died and was buried, He rose again on the third day just as He said He would. Yet no one seemed to be expecting it. The women went to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body, not expecting Him to be risen. When they returned and told the disciples what they had seen, the disciples did not believe them. Later, Jesus appeared to His disciples and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart because they refused to believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.

If your life is characterized by a refusal to believe what God has said, it may reveal a heart that has become hardened. Unbelief is not something God wants us to become comfortable with. He calls us to walk by faith, and that requires a heart that remains soft and receptive to His Word. If you find your heart becoming hardened today, repent and respond to the voice of God. He will soften your heart and strengthen your faith to believe what He has said, even when it seems impossible.

Father, forgive us for allowing our hearts to become hardened. The unbelief it produces is an offense to You. Soften our hearts and keep us full of faith so that we would trust everything You say and everything You do in our lives. We pray this in Jesus’ name, amen.