"Listen And Don't Rebel"

"For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses." Hebrews 3:16 

The Lord had miraculously delivered the Israelites from the bondage of Egypt and was bringing them into their own land, but they never made it past the wilderness. Why? Because when the Lord spoke to them, they hardened their hearts against His word. As a result, they fell into unbelief, murmuring, complaining and rebellion. 

 

God had a place of rest (physically and spiritually) planned for them. No more slavery, no more bondage, no more taskmasters, no more struggling, no more labor. They would possess houses they did not build and crops they did not plant. God had provisions for them. A land that flowed with milk and honey- abundance. He had a plan to prosper them, to give them a hope and a future. Yet all they got was forty years of dry, hot desert and manna. 

 

Had they only listened to and trusted His word; had they just obeyed what He said; had they not tried to reason it out they never would have lived a wasted life in the wilderness and died there. How familiar is that today. God has a plan for us. He desires to bring us into His rest. He desires to give us abundant life as well as eternal life. He is trying to give us good things-- spiritually and physically-- yet we are not listening to and heeding His word. Like them, if we would only listen to Him, believe and do what He says we would not live such wasted life. If we would only listen, we could receive the blessings of the "promise land". God is not slack concerning His promises, He can do it. But we can also harden our hearts and not listen, believe or obey. We can keep ourselves from "entering into that rest" that He provides and is desirous to bring us into. 

 

Does that sound like you today? Is He trying to get a blessing to you, is He trying to give you peace, is He speaking to your heart about His plan for you, but you aren't listening. You may be "hearing" Him, but "listening", "believing" and "doing" what you hear are two different things. Don't miss the "place" He is wanting to take you into because you are "hardening" your heart through unbelief, doubt and rebellion.

 

Have a great day. Don't miss God's plan and blessings by hardening your heart to His word. 

 

For further reading:

Psalm 95:7,8

Jeremiah 29:11

Isaiah 1:19