Reading: Hebrews 1-4
Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; While it is said, To day if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation(Heb. 3:12-15).
God is eternal. In Him, there is no beginning and no end (Ps. 90:2). In comparison, the earthly life of mortal man is no more than that of a mayfly, here one instant and gone the next. Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not (Job. 14:1-2). We have been put on this earth for one purpose, and one purpose only, so that we might come to know our Creator and, of our own free will, accept Him as our Lord. While theoretically, we have our entire lifetime in which to accomplish this, every second that we choose to live without Him places us in extreme jeopardy.
But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. ‘Tomorrow’ may well be one of the most dangerous words known to man. ‘Tomorrow’ implies the promise of limitless time and infinite chances. ‘Tomorrow’ makes us feel invincible. It quiets all feelings of urgency and replaces them with a slow and steady pull toward procrastination and laziness. ‘Tomorrow’ provides us with a (false!) sense of security and well-being. As long as we believe we have tomorrow, we are content to squander today.
The problem with this, of course, is that ALL we have is today. Right now—this single instant—is all we are promised and all we can rely on. Tomorrow may indeed come, but if it does, it will dawn as a gift, not a promise. Today is when we must make our choice. Today is when we need to find our feet and stand for God. Today is the day we must open our ears and our hearts and saturate both of them with God’s Word and His grace so that they may stay supple and tender through all of His ages to come, long after the tomorrows of this world are nothing more than a distant memory.
God’s Word cannot be any clearer on the subject. Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. It is imperative that we avail ourselves of God’s love and grace TODAY—right now, before another second passes. If we put Him off, we do so at our own peril. He will always be there, but that doesn’t mean that we will be.
Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that(James 4:13-15).
Thought For Today:The purpose for which we have been put on this earth is well documented, but unless we look in His Word, we will never find it.
Word Studies:Heb. 2:17 behoved = was necessary for, was imperative for; 4:8 Jesus = not the Lord Jesus Christ, but Joshua. Jesus is the Greek word of the Hebrew Joshua. Joshua could not provide complete peace in their "promised land" because of their unbelief. Israelites in that day had to look forward to heaven for their perfect peace, just as Christians do today; 4:12 quick = living.
Cross References:For Heb. 1:3: See Ps. 110:1. Heb. 1:5: See Ps. 2:7; II Sam. 7:14. Heb. 1:6: See Ps. 97:7. Heb. 1:7: See Ps. 104:4. Heb. 1:8- 9: See Ps. 45:6-7. Heb. 1:10-12: See Ps. 102:25-27. Heb. 1:13: See Ps. 110:1.
Pray For Staff:Gilbert Palafox • Country: Lesotho (1,942,008) Southern Africa • Major Languages: Sesotho, English • Religious Freedom • 80% Christian; 20% Indigenous Beliefs • Prayer Suggestion: Pray and rejoice in the Lord for all His spiritual blessings (Is. 61:10)