There are hearts hardened against the word of God; some by the deceitfulness of sin; some from a professional overfamiliarity with the word itself--as a preacher [145] or a teacher may go over a passage so often that it ceases to make any impression on him, and from constant careless use wears slick to him like a nickel; some by being blunted in perception through disobedience; some by regarding the word only as a treasury of "points" and "arguments" to hurl at someone else--a very fatal kind of hardening; some by blind prejudice which can see only its own ideas in the word; some by mere devotional reading--considering Bible reading a pious practice, but neither knowing nor caring what it really says; some by overwhelming conceit of their own great wisdom and learning. We must take heed. "Today if ye shall hear his voice (his word), harden not your hearts." How open and tender our hearts ought to be every time we draw near to God's precious word! Let us get out of the ruts. Let us become as little children before God. Let us look at his word each time we approach it, with new, wondering eyes, and search each passage as though we had never seen it before. Let us seek for his will to obey it, for his promise to rest upon it, for his encouragements to incite us to faithful service--today when we hear his voice.

[TAG 145-146]