Journey Through The Bible
     Old Testament Reading: 1 Kings 10-12
     New Testament Reading: Hebrews 3

Watch out, brothers and sisters, so that there won’t be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage each other daily, while it is still called today, so that none of you is hardened by sin’s deception. For we have become participants in Christ if we hold firmly until the end the reality that we had at the start (Hebrews 3:12-14).

The historical background was familiar to the Jews. Under Moses’ leadership, the ancient Hebrews took forty years in the wilderness to travel an eleven-day journey because of their unbelief. Deceived by sin, they provoked the Lord God time and time again. The rest that He had provided them fled away as they opted for their way instead of God’s way.

Today it still happens, which is why the warning is still needed. Believers can also have hard hearts. The exhortation comes as a positive admonition. We are not to follow the example of those who fell in the desert but are to hold firmly to our Christian faith, keeping a soft heart and a resistance to sin.

Believers are to encourage each other daily so that none of them will experience a spiritual hardening brought on by sin’s deceitfulness. Both individual responsibility and shared accountability are intended in this admonition. God’s people should be daily encouraging one another and urging others to continue to follow Christ and not fall to sin’s temptations.

The phrase, while it is still called today suggests the contemporary relevance of the Word of God. Whether the ancient Hebrews, the first-century church, or Christians today struggling with the problem of spiritual drifting is a real issue. Hardening of the heart is both a real danger and avoidable. If it is to be avoided, however, Christians must relate to one another in an atmosphere of encouragement.

Thankfully, the Lord often uses trials and His Word to soften our spiritual hearts. As we read our Bibles, let’s analyze our heart attitude toward the Lord. If we sense a hardness toward the Lord, let’s ask Him to reveal why and to change our hearts.