Thoughts for the Day

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......'

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.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

The writer of the letter to the Hebrews has been reminding his readers of the importance of Jesus, but he now turns to the consequence of this. If you think the beginning of this section is familiar you are not wrong, for it's a quotation from Psalm 95.7-11 which many churches still sing or say as part of the Venite at Morning Prayer. The psalm refers to a time when Israel was brought out of Egypt where they were slaves under Pharaoh's regime, and almost the first thing they do is complain that they have no food or water and would be better back in Egypt without God! As a result they were forced to live in the desert for 40 years before entering the promised land.

All who believe in Jesus should take up the offer of a new life while it's still 'today'. Do not wait until it's too late. The gift is so great that we should accept it, but to do that we must have trust in God's promises, and we obey His commands. After all if someone you trusted offered you the most precious thing in the world, but said you had to obey their instructions implicitly, would you not do so? It's the same with God's offer, made through the Holy Spirit - to leave it until to tomorrow might be too late!

A prayer of confession:

Lord God,
help us to really live this day.
Some of my yesterdays
were not brilliant.
What happened yesterday
cannot be changed,
but I can be changed.
Breathe Your Spirit into me,
and grant me the courage
to sincerely strive to be
the person I know I should be.
Help me to live today the way
You would have me live,
I ask this in Your will
and to Your praise and glory.
Amen.