When You Know Better...

SCRIPTURE



Hebrews 3:7-19 (NRSV)

Against disobedience

Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says,
"Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,
as on the day of testing in the wilderness,
where your ancestors put me to the test,
though they had seen my works for forty years.
Therefore I was angry with that generation,
and I said, 'They always go astray in their hearts,
and they have not known my ways.'
As in my anger I swore,
'They will not enter my rest.' "

Take care, brothers and sisters, that none of you may have an evil, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," so that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partners of Christ, if only we hold our first confidence firm to the end. As it is said,
"Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion."

Now who were they who heard and yet were rebellious? Was it not all those who left Egypt under the leadership of Moses? But with whom was he angry forty years? Was it not those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, if not to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.


DEVOTION

Today we are reminded that it is not right to “harden our hearts” against God in a spirit of rebellion.

Now, it seems to me this scripture is not speaking to those of us who commit sin unknowingly, but those of us who sin with the full knowledge that what we are doing is wrong!


Maya Angelou once said, “When you know better, you do better.” How I wish this was always true in my life!

But, I confess that sometimes I do know better and I still do wrong. Lord, please have mercy on me!

I’m sure all of us have faced temptations so great that we have yielded although we knew better. Whether it was eating that second bowl of ice cream in a fit of gluttony, spending the grocery money on a beautiful pair of shoes because of lust, or telling that lie at work, we have all done things we knew we had no business doing!

Today, we are reminded that it is always wrong to harden our hearts when God’s still-soft voice is whispering to our hearts!

Dear friends, God will never, ever steer you wrong! God will not lead you astray! Just as God faithfully led the Israelites forty years in the wilderness, God will faithfully lead you on the path of your life if you will but hear, and heed, God’s voice!

I don’t know about you, but on a daily basis I am grateful for God’s love, grace, and mercy that gave Jesus to die on the cross to save me from my sin and gift me with eternal life. It is because of this sacrifice that the love and blood of Jesus covers the multitude of our sin.

1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sin, God who is faithful and just will forgive our sin and cleanse us of all unrighteousness.”

Hallelujah!

Today, will you confess your sin—known and unknown—to God? If so, please pray with me:

Holy God, you are holy and you call me to holiness too. I know that I can do nothing without you! Please forgive me of all of my sins committed by word, thought, or deed against you. Please pardon my iniquity, known or unknown, done accidently or on purpose. I am so sorry and I thank you so much for the Blood of Jesus that makes my forgiveness possible. God, I would be grateful if you would fill me with the Holy Spirit so that I can share your love, grace, and forgiveness with others. I pray this in Jesus’ Name, Amen.


THE INVITATION

If you have questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, "Come to Jesus."

http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/come-to-jesus.html