“Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,
as in the day of Massah in the desert,
Where your fathers tempted me;
they tested me though they had seen my works.”
- Psalms 95:7-9
Today’s psalm is a familiar one, used many times throughout the liturgical year. Still, although we may be familiar with the words, have you ever wondered what they really mean? What does it mean to harden your heart? To what is the psalmist referring?
This reference is given to us to remind us that we should not question God’s love for us or that He has a plan for us. When we harden our hearts, we turn away from God is trying to teach us. We decide that we know better than God and that, either He should do what we want, or that we can just completely ignore His teachings. This is what the psalmist is warning us against. We must always put our faith in God and believe that He will not abandon us. Even when things do not go the way we plan, we must still trust in the Lord and not succumb to doubt. It is only by trusting God that we are able to live fully and proclaim His Word in both words and deeds. This should be foremost in our mind and our ultimate goal.