As Long as it is Called Today
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Hebrews 3:7-19
7. Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, "Today, when you hear his voice, 8. do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, 9. where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years. 10. Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, `They always go astray in their hearts; they have not known my ways.' 11. As I swore in my wrath, `They shall never enter my rest.'" 12. Take care, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14. For we share in Christ, if only we hold our first confidence firm to the end, 15. while it is said, "Today, when you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion." 16. Who were they that heard and yet were rebellious? Was it not all those who left Egypt under the leadership of Moses? 17. And with whom was he provoked forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? 18. And to whom did he swear that they should never enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? 19. So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.
Wow! I really hope I don’t ever experience the kind of wrath God let loose on the Israelites to prevent their entry into the Promised Land! It lasts a long, long time and the people suffered tremendous hardships for their disobedience and hardened hearts. They wanted their reward now, not later! They wanted it in their time not in God’s. They arrogantly thought they knew better than God when their journey should end.
Don’t we still fall into that today? Don’t we still go to God with requests—even demands—and expect them to be fulfilled as we see fit? Don’t we ask God to help us, save us, protect us, deliver us, empower us, embolden us, prosper us, make us rich and famous and powerful and admired? Even if we only ask that we are viewed that way by our small circle of friends, or of our community or church. We want to appear great in the eyes of others! We don’t want God’s brand of greatness—obedience, faithfulness, humility, eternity in heaven. Well, we want eternity in heaven. . .
Today is only going be a little while – today here refers to the present time – or maybe it does literally mean “today!” If that’s the case, I better start this very minute re-focusing my energy, my time, my thoughts and my actions! I better get to work proclaiming the Good News with my words and with my life! I better bow down in humility and gratitude that I worship a God of second chances. . . and third . . . and fifth . . . and one hundred! But not of an infinite number! His love is infinite, but not his patience! He warns us of that! He tells us ahead of time what will happen if we wait too long to live like we’re saved!
He has proved time and time again that He says what He means and means what He says! Today might be a good day to heed his warnings! Today is a good day to repent, to beg forgiveness, to turn over a new leaf. Today. While today is still today.
I hope you spend your day responding in obedience and gratitude when you hear His voice.
Mary
