Be Faithful

Hebrews 3:12 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; 13 but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, 15 while it is said:
“Today, if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”


Failure of the Wilderness Wanderers


16 For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? 17 Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? 19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.


The Promise of Rest


Hebrews 4:1 Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. 2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them,[a] not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. 3 For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said:
“So I swore in My wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest,’”
although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4 For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”; [c] 5 and again in this place: “They shall not enter My rest.”
6 Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience, 7 again He designates a certain day, saying in David, “Today,” after such a long time, as it has been said:
“Today, if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts.”
8 For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. 9 There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. 10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.
The Word Discovers Our Condition


11 Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. 12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.


Our Compassionate High Priest


14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.


So, I heard this inspiring sermon this week about obeying God and trusting Him in the wilderness, and His mighty provision based on the story of the wilderness wanderers from Number 9- The Cloud and the Fire.
It was about their perfect obedience to follow the cloud and fire of God.

BUT THEN. Today I read in Hebrews about the Failure of the Wilderness Wanderers. That they hardened their hearts. And stopped obeying God. Of all things, they refused to enter the promised land. After all that.

So, now, in the course of a few days, I have been encouraged and WARNED. For the word they heard did not profit them because it was not mixed with faith. Lord! Let my hearing be mixed with faith that I might OBEY. Today, let me hear your voice, and do not let me harden my heart.

Now, I am glad for the next two sections in Hebrews as well- "The Word Discovers Our Condition" and "Our Compassionate High Priest." First, let the word of God discern our thoughts and the intents of our heart.
Then let us confess to our High Priest all our failures, "coming boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

With the word of God and Jesus as my High Priest, I have hope that I can Be Faithful.

You may be wondering why I would bother to blog about my personal devotions. Well, it's because of Hebrews 3:13 "But exhort one another daily, while it is called "Today," lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin."

So, consider yourself exhorted! :) Do not harden your heart. Do not ignore God's leading- that is called rebellion and leads to death. Instead, let your hearing of God's word be mixed with faith and GO! DO! Be God's light in this dark world.

Love.