Hearing His Voice #94

Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts.

Hebrews 4:7

Borrowing a reference from Psalm 95, the writer of Hebrews urges his readers to enter into the place of rest given to us in our salvation. In a time of falling away, when many Jewish believers are facing opposition and losing heart, he appeals to the voice of God. It’s calling us into a Promised Land that makes the original land of Canaan pale in comparison. This new Promised Land is the ultimate destination, and we can enter it only by listening to God and following what we hear.

Not only does salvation come through God’s spoken invitation, so does everything else He has planned for us. Many believers wander aimlessly through life—or walk somewhat mindlessly through open and closed doors without much discretion. But for those who will take a more active role in listening, God speaks, guides, and directs.

That’s when the critical moments of our lives occur. The hinges of God’s doors of opportunity swing open when our hearts are soft and we respond to His whispers. But it’s possible in those moments to harden our hearts too—to quiet an unsettled conscience or stuff an unwanted word of direction, telling ourselves “it’s only my imagination” when really it is the voice of God. When we hear Him, our hearts cannot remain in neutral. Either we respond willingly or we become more hardened. His voice cannot be ignored. By nature, it compels a decision.

Our decisions are sometimes subtle, so subtle that we may not be aware of making them. An impulse to give generously, a conviction to get rid of a habit or start a new one, a prompt to move toward reconciliation—all can be easily ignored. But those who prove themselves sensitive to God’s voice—not just someday but the very day it is heard—will hear it far more frequently.

Oh, Father, increase my sensitivity to Your promptings. May I never be content with an unsettled spirit. May Your slightest whispers sound like a megaphone to me. And may I have the wisdom and the courage to respond.