Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, and saw My words for 40 years. Hebrews 3:7-9 HCSB
We receive warnings every day. Road signs warn of impending danger where there is a reduction of lanes or high water. The warnings on medicine bottles instruct us to take a certain dosage and to store the medicine out of the reach of children. There are warnings on movies and television shows guiding parents to keep children from watching content that is not appropriate.
In these verses, we are warned against the hardening of our hearts and rebelling against God just like the Israelites did in the wilderness. The Israelites would not follow God’s command to go up and possess the land because they were afraid of the people living there. The Israelites had just witnessed God’s amazing power as He had delivered them from Egyptian slavery, parted the Red Sea, and even provided food and water for them. Because they did not heed God’s warnings and hardened their hearts, they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years.
Challenge: Heed God’s warnings in His Word. Do not harden your heart. Be careful to obey God’s commands and directions. They are designed to make your life easier and to keep you from harm.