Welcome to Tuesday! It's time for this week's edition of Tuesday's Musical Notes!!! This is the place you can go to find classic rock-n-roll songs utilized as a springboard for encouragement and enrichment for your faith...at least that is the goal each week.
In your spare time perhaps you have wondered what the hardest element on earth might possibly be....you say you have never wondered this....ok, humor me and ask yourself that question. Are you done? The answer according to my high school science classes was....diamonds. They are formed from carbon under pressure (I see a future Musical Note in the making). While the diamond is the hardest naturally formed element on earth, it is very rare and costly, hence the ability to be the best friend of women all over the world. However, titanium is considered the hardest element to most people as it is available in abundance and is significantly less expensive than diamonds...unless it is included in the shaft of your driver....The Notes would like to propose that there is another naturally occurring thing in the world that is equally as hard as diamonds and as readily available as titanium.....the human heart. In 1980, a band called Seafood Mama released a regional single in the great northwestern part of the US....here they are in 1981 after they renamed their band and re-released the single on their debut album for Geffen Records....you might know them better as the husband and wife team that makes up the band....Quarterflash:
"Harden My Heart" - Quarterflash
As Seafood Mama, Rindy and Marv Ross had achieved enough success in Oregon to warrant an hour long television show on CBS affiliated KOIN in Portland. They later reprise as Quarterflash on the same station with another hour long block of rock. "Harden My Heart" would be the bands biggest hit. Its peak position on Billboard was at #3 on the Hot 100 propelling their self titled debut album to #8 on Billboard's album chart. The album would go platinum and place Quarterflash's music in heavy rotation on radio stations around the country in the early to mid '80s.
"Harden My Heart" was a break up song that utilizes a phrase from the story of Exodus to explain the emotions of the offended party. She would make her heart so hard that nothing could penetrate it and break it again. Beginning in Exodus 7, the Bible explains how the ruler of Egypt, the Pharaoh, would be witness to some of the greatest signs from God ever recorded in scripture. With each sign or plague, the Bible says that Pharaoh would "harden his heart" towards the Israelites and not rescind his decision to keep them in Egypt. You can find the entire account here:
New American Standard Bible Exodus 7-12
With his economy devastated and mourning the loss of his first born child, Pharaoh relented and released the Israelites from their bondage. His stubbornness caused the destruction of his country and the death of many. What is the cost for some of the decisions we make in our life? What does it take for our hearts to be softened?
In The Gospels, Jesus asked his disciples on 3 occasions (Mark 6:52, Mark 8:17, and John 12:40 NASB) if they had hard hearts. These were men who were with him day and night for three years, yet Jesus had to ask them if they were being stubborn about acknowledging who He was. In 2013, it is easy to judge the disciples for their disbelief. Yet, every day we have things in our life that we are hardhearted about. This headstrong selfishness to have our own way keeps us from serving those around us. While we recognize Jesus as our Savior, we harden our hearts over our pet sins and do not yield to His sovereignty over our whole lives. We harden our hearts to the freedom that Jesus is ready to impart to us if we will only surrender everything to Him. This is a challenge for Christians every day. Let's commit to each other that we will work daily to soften our hearts to the voice of Jesus and the service of others. This softening process is made easier by reading scripture, encouraging and serving others in small groups, and worshiping together in community. Will you partner in this with me?...... or will you turn and leave Him here.....
And now for a song from about the same time to start you on the heart softening process:
"Soften Your Heart" - Keith Green
'Til Tuesday,
Serving HIM by serving you,
Randy
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