Today

Text: Hebrews 3:7-19

Theme: Today is the day we should hear Him and obey.

Key verses: “This is what the Holy Spirit says, ‘Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled…’ (v. 7-8a).” “‘So I was angry with them, and I said, ‘Their hearts always turn from me. They refuse to do what I tell them.’ So in my anger I took an oath: ‘They will never enter my place of rest.'” “Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. You must warn each other every day, while it is still ‘today,’ so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ” (v. 12-14).

What God said to me: Dwayne, I blessed you with an extraordinary weekend with your Board of Directors as you celebrated 2017 and looked ahead to 2018. You have done a better than average job of hearing me and obeying me this past year. However, there have been those days and those moments when you chose to ignore my Word and my voice and when you disobeyed what you knew I wanted you to do. The only day you have is today. Yesterday is gone. Whatever you may have done yesterday–good or bad–is logged in my books and covered under my Son’s blood. Whatever you might want to do tomorrow is impossible since you can never do something in the future. You only have today. Today, if you hear my voice, do not harden your heart; obey me quickly and fully. The consequences are to enter my rest. We will unpack that in our next meeting together. But for today, let’s focus on what you know I want you to do today and not do today. Today I expect you to examine your own heart and be sure there is no hidden sin and rebellion inside your mind and soul. I want you to warn others not to be deceived by sin and become hardened against me. I want you to one day share in all that is Christ’s. It’s not possible to for you to comprehend “all” you will inherit. But trust me, you don’t want to miss any of it. So do today what I expect and lead you to do today. Today is all you have.

What I said to God: Father, I am once again in awe of You and Your faithfulness to speak so clearly to my heart. Thank You for pointing out to me how imperative it is to follow You closely today and listen for Your still, small voice in every moment of this day. The cry of my heart today and every day should be…

I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.
I need Thee, oh, I need Thee;
Every hour I need Thee;
Oh, bless me now, my Savior,
I come to Thee.