Sunday 16 Sep 2018

September 16: Hebrews 3:7-13

Key Verse: Hebrews 3:8
do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness,

Devotion:
The writer reminds the Hebrews here of what God had said and done and what the Holy Spirit wanted them to remember – but they would have to try and listen to the Holy Spirit first of all. There is nothing new about listening out for the Holy Spirit; this is how Jesus taught the disciples and how we need to confirm our relationships with God today, just as they were doing so back in the times just after Christ was here on earth.

We will go through tough times and during those times it may well seem a lot easier to go the way of the world instead of stopping and listening out for God and His instructions. It may well sound a better idea to go with the flow and see how many people you can make happy; but it is not what God is calling you to do. God calls us to stand up for what is righteous and truthful, to spread the gospel message and to listen out for new instructions in our lives.

So why do people shy away from listening out for the Holy Spirit today? Because it is easier to go along with something you can see and touch than to rely on something unseen. That is what faith is all about, not just believing in the unseen, but stopping and listening out for what God is trying to tell you. Jesus is not here to give us the words in plain language; but He left behind someone who is trying to talk to us in plain language. The Holy Spirit is here with us and trying to give us our daily instructions.

Stop for a while now and just wait to hear from God; wait to hear what He is trying to tell you today. He is not a God who has written down things and expects you to follow those instructions to the letter – that was written down for the people at the time. But those instructions are still important for us to understand God and to know what to listen for and to look out for. Stop now and listen…

Points to Ponder:
How often do you stop and listen?

Are you willing to obey the Holy Spirit?