Today If You Hear His Voice

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.' "
See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful,
unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.
But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today,
so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.
We have come to share in Christ
if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.
As has just been said:
"Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion."
~Hebrews 3:7-15 (NIV)

This passage is crystal clear in the fact that we all, as humans, have been given freedom of choice and will. That is straightforward, or not so maybe to some; which could likely be the reason why it is specifically mentioned in some parts of the Scripture including the above. It is written "Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts...". Simple as it may sound, nothing complicated about it we can all sense. But, our daily experience tells us that it is not exactly that simple, not precisely un-complicated as it turns out. O.. How we have fallen that something so straightforward and simple has turned into something so complicated and un-simple.

Are you hearing His voice today? ...

...

If you are, I want you to bow and kneel before the Living God and sincerely thank Him, simply because you are hearing His voice. His mercy is still upon you. His grace is still before you.

Do that right now...

...

As I continue to ponder upon the passage above, it sends deep shiver down my spine to recall how the story of Israel's rebellion happened as recorded in the Old Testament Scriptures.

"...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.' "

I could hardly imagine a human whose anger lasts for forty years. I have heard of people who have been angry for years though. How bitter can that get! How malicious can that turn into! How frustrating that perhaps hope has been given up! How despairing that there seems to be really no way out in that anger! We all know how destructive anger can result in!

Now, if we can somehow imagine, man being angry for such a long time, think about what it means for God to be.

Wait a minute, you mean God!

The Scriptures most certainly refers to "the Living God".

It threw me beyond my imagination to even start thinking that the entity that is angered is "the Living God". I don't even dare to begin thinking along that direction.

Now hear this and ponder real seriously what the Word said,

"So I declared on oath in my anger,
'They shall never enter my rest.' "

"... never enter my rest ... "

I pray sincerely that the above words weigh heavily in all our hearts.

Pray right now...

...

Would you join with all the saints that have gone before us to...

"See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful,
unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.
But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today,
so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness."

...

The above section of the Scripture comes with God's stamp of assurance. God calls us to bank on it. Yes you can most assuredly indeed, bank on it. A familiar message that is found littered in the pages of the book of Hebrews.

"We have come to share in Christ
if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first. "

One of the primary marks of a true believer in Christ Jesus is found in the above verse and that is 'persevering faith'. The same faith that justifies is the very same faith that sanctifies.

Far be it O merciful Father, that Your anger befalls on us,
Far be it O sovereign Saviour, that our eyes turn away from You,
Far be it O gracious Lord, that unbelief mark our hearts and minds,
Thank You for the grace that we may still hear Your voice,
Fix our thoughts on You, Jesus,
the apostle and high priest whom we confess.
That we may enter Your sweet abiding rest.
Amen!