Today’s Reading: Hebrews 3

And so, dear brothers and sisters who belong to God and are partners with those called to heaven, think carefully about this Jesus whom we declare to be God’s messenger and High Priest. – Hebrews 3:1

THINK CAREFULLY ABOUT JESUS.

Father God, we thank you for this opportunity to focus our thoughts on your Son. As we soak in the truths of Hebrews chapter 3, please speak to us. Give us a heart that responds to your Holy Spirit’s prompting, and may we be forever changed TODAY by your holy Word. Amen.

For he was faithful to God, who appointed him, just as Moses served faithfully when he was entrusted with God’s entire house. – Hebrews 3:2

JESUS WAS FAITHFUL.

As a part of His plan of salvation, God appointed His one and only Son to be both messenger and High Priest. And Jesus was faithful to carry out God’s plan by speaking both into and over the lives of those he came in contact with. Knowing what his obedience would mean, Jesus chose to faithfully speak the message of repentance; knowing that the role of High Priest would require the ultimate sacrifice, Jesus willingly joined creation.

But Jesus deserves far more glory than Moses, just as a person who builds a house deserves more praise than the house itself. For every house has a builder, but the one who built everything is God. – Hebrews 3:3-4

JESUS DESERVES FAR MORE GLORY.

Moses was a humble servant in the house of God, but Jesus Christ is in charge of God’s entire house! And we are God’s house! When we choose to place our confidence in the hope found in Christ, we belong to the household of God. Then Jesus, our Messenger and High Priest, becomes our leader. We live our lives in obedience to his leadership, daily opening our hearts to everything he wants to teach us while being available to be used by God in ways we never imagined. And this life of surrender is lived out to glorify the One who deserves far more glory than we can even imageine — today!

That is why the Holy Spirit says,
“Today when you hear his voice,
don’t harden your hearts
as Israel did when they rebelled,
when they tested me in the wilderness.
There your ancestors tested and tried my patience,
even though they saw my miracles for forty years.
So I was angry with them, and I said,
‘Their hearts always turn away from me.
They refuse to do what I tell them.’
So in my anger I took an oath:
‘They will never enter my place of rest.’” – Hebrews 3:7-11

This scripture is calling us to action. As we think carefully about Jesus — about who he was, how he lived and what he deserves — we must respond. The Israelites responded by hardening their hearts, both in Moses’ days and then again in response to the ministry of Jesus. But the writer of Hebrews is giving us clear instructions on how we, God’s house, should respond to the greatness of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Be careful.
Make sure your heart is not evil and unbelieving.
Do not turn away from the living God.
Warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that no one will be deceived by sin and hardened against God.
Be faithful to the end, trusting God as firmly “today” as we did when we first believed.

Remember what it says:
“Today when you hear his voice,
don’t harden your hearts
as Israel did when they rebelled.” – Hebrews 3:15

As our thoughts return to Jesus this morning, we choose once again to surrender everything to you, Lord. We have done a heart-check and we ask you to forgive us of our shortcomings. Soften the places of our hearts where rebellion and arrogance have begun to stiffen our daily response to your presence. Renew in our hearts a concern for others who are being deceived by the lies of today’s culture, and give us a determination to be faithful to the end! May our trust in you continue to grow, surpassing the faith of our early walk with you and growing stronger each day. TODAY, we choose you, God. TODAY, may we be found faithful, just as Jesus is faithful. Amen.