Good Morning Friends,
“So, as the Holy Spirit says: ‘Today, if you
hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during
the time of testing in the desert, where your fathers tested and tried me and for
forty years saw what I did. That is why I was angry with that generation, and I
said, “Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.”
So I declared on oath in my anger, “They shall never enter my rest.”’” (Hebrews
3:7-11)
In the days following their deliverance from
Egypt, God clearly spoke to the people of Israel. He provided them clear direction.
It doesn’t seem like it could be much clearer. There was a pillar of cloud that
guided them during the day and a pillar of fire to do the same at night. And
God spoke directly to their leader, Moses, providing the clearest direction of
His will and His standards that could possibly be given. It was written down
and delivered to the people. When they got to the edge of the Promised Land,
there should have been no doubt as to what they were to do next. They had been
promised the land. God had led them clearly to its border. It was time to enter
what God had promised. But they turned away from it.
That’s not the only time the people of Israel
refused to listen to God’s clear direction during their days in the wilderness.
It seemed to be something of a pattern in their lives. Part of it was fear. Part
of it was stubbornness.
When God spoke, they turned away from what He
said. That’s what the Hebrew writer calls “hardening your hearts.” And people
still do it today. God continues to provide direction to people. He does it in
many ways, even as He did with the Israelites. And He continues to give people
a choice as to whether or not they will listen to what He says.
And when we don’t listen to God’s voice and
keep doing that over and over, we drift further and further from Him and are
kept from His “rest.” When we fail to listen to God’s voice, we miss out on the
peace and fulfillment that God offers. If we keep doing it there is grave
danger to our eternity!
God still speaks to people, even you. Listen
to Him!
His, by Grace,
Steve
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