Hebrews 3:7-14
That is why the Holy Spirit says,
“Today when you hear his voice,
don’t harden your hearts
as Israel did when they rebelled,
when they tested me in the wilderness.
There your ancestors tested and tried my patience,
even though they saw my miracles for forty years.
So I was angry with them, and I said,
‘Their hearts always turn away 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.
Making it real … Hebrews 3:12-14
Please, try with all your might and all your will, to keep your hearts pure and full of belief in God and his almighty power and endless love. Do not let your heart that turns away from the loving, living, forgiving God. In these days, at this time, you must support and encourage one another to stay true to God. To live a life that is good and pure. We need to journey through our whole life with that same ‘all out’ faith that we had when we first believed, so that we can feast on the wonderful fruits that come as blessing to those who belong to Jesus.
My own words …
I’m staying on the theme of Mercy because Hebrews is just full of it.
And how incredible is God’s mercy.
Life deals all of us different blows and our response to them, the way that we handle these blows, is a direct result of our emotional state. At first, we may feel rejection or anger or bitterness but as we continue through the healing process, these emotions will turn to sadness, regret and even guilt – depending on how we reacted and behaved as a result of the blow. But eventually the peace will come. The thing is, that God is with us through all the stages. At times, our behavior which driven by these broken emotions, may be appalling, but God is always with us and He is always merciful and always ready to help us pick up the pieces and move on.
And so … the emotions that we should aim towards to form a part of our future, should be forgiveness and love and peace.
The Lords words …
My children, I understand this emotional journey and the truth is, I never leave you although it pains me greatly to see you making very bad choices and behaving in ways that I know are self-destructive. I know and understand human nature more than anyone. I have watched how people react and behave from the beginning of time. I have seen generations fail and get up again. But I will never turn my back from my people. Sometimes I need to turn my eyes away as the behavior is too painful to watch, but I will never turn my heart away. I am always here, waiting to pick up the collapsed pieces and walk with you until you find your way back to confidence and wholeness.