Tag: Hebrews 3:12-15
Maintain your confidence in Christ!
Scripture reading for March 7th: Hebrews 3, Psalm 47, Proverbs 16
Hebrews 3:12-15 “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 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. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. As it is said, “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.””
The Psalmist knew the power of worship to help God’s people maintain their confidence in the King of all the earth. Worship involves the whole person: spirit, soul, and body! We clap our hands and shout with our voices as an act of worship with our bodies. We experience the joy of God’s presence with us and in us in our souls. Our spirit chooses to humbly reverence (fear) the great God of heaven and His Holy Word. As we worship, God is magnified to us. We become aware of Who He is and Whose we are! He speaks to our hearts and encourages us. Worship keeps our hearts soft and pliable and full of joy! We are blessed!
Psalm 47:1-2 “Clap you hands all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of Joy! For the Lord, the Most High, is to be feared, a great King over all the earth.”
Prayer: Great God of Heaven, King over all the earth, I reverence You and choose to worship You with all my heart, soul, mind and strength of my body! You, Alone, are worthy! My confidence comes from the joy of Your presence with me and from the precious promises of Your Word. I have discovered Your amazing love and goodness and my life is blessed! Amen!
Proverbs 16:20 “Whoever gives thought to the Word will discover good, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.”
Hardened by sin’s deceitfulness
Scripture reading for August 10th: Hebrews 3
Key Scriptures: Hebrews 3:12-15 “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 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. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. As it is said, “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”
Knowing God’s Word and will does not guarantee that we will believe it and obey God. The Israelites had God’s Word and knew His laws and decrees. They had experienced God’s presence in the cloud and fire and heard His voice on Mt. Sinai. But unbelief still plagued them and they fell away from God! Notice that falling is always ‘away’ and never ‘towards’ when unbelief is found in a hardened heart. Notice that ‘today’ is this day that we now find ourselves in. It is a day to ‘take care’ to listen to God’s voice. It is a day to exhort one another to guard our hearts against sins deceitfulness and hardening character. It is a day of salvation, as we never know if a ‘tomorrow’ is in our future here on earth. Sin often brings presumption that we have lots of time to do our own thing and then repent. Beware, a hardened heart is coming your way!
Hebrews 3:16-18 “For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was He provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient.”
Faith confession and prayer: Father, thank You for exhorting me and warning me by Your Holy Word and voice. Use me to exhort others and watch over their souls. Help me to stay humble and soft in my heart, responding today to Your Word and call for repentance and faith. Today is the day of salvation and now is the time to receive grace!
2nd Corinthians 6:1-2 “Working together with Him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For He says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”