The power of Today

So, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts, as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness.”  –Hebrews 3:7-8 (NIV)

This quote from Psalm 95 is repeated three times in the third and fourth chapters of Hebrews. It references an incident first recorded in Exodus 17. The Israelites, fresh off seeing their deliverance from Egypt by God’s hand, were in the wilderness, thirsty, and didn’t know what they would drink. Instead of asking God for water, they turned on Moses. Ready to stone him to death, they asked, “Is the LORD with us or not?” Can you imagine? Sure you can.

Humans are forgetful. We always have been. We tend to approach life with a “What have you done for me lately?” attitude. Dealing with difficult circumstances, managing busy schedules, weighed down with the grind of life, regularly faced with evidence that we live in a fallen world, and knowing that we are part of that fallenness – we lose our perspective.

In that chaos, God promises…rest. Sounds good doesn’t it?  But what does it mean? In the “here and now” I think rest looks like a calmness, a peace, a freedom from anxiety as we trust in God’s promises and depend on Him to be the God He says He is: The One Who Is In Control, eternal, all-loving, all-powerful, Who sees and knows and cares and protects and provides. In the long run, I think rest is a restoration of His creation to its perfect, pre-fall condition, with no threat of pain or evil or impure motives.

The Jews who left Egypt accused God because they forgot His goodness and therefore doubted His greatness. This fear would result in a generation of them dying in the wilderness without ever receiving their Promised Land rest. The Psalmist knew his generation was not immune to the same fate, as did the writer of Hebrews. Neither are we. A forgetful heart is an ungrateful heart, an ungrateful heart becomes a hard heart. A hard heart stops trusting and therefore cannot rest.

The use of the word “today” (5 times in Hebrews 3-4 in the NIV) speaks to both the urgency and the ongoing need – every day – to listen for God’s voice and allow Him to keep our hearts soft. Before getting to that quoted encouragement, Psalm 95 talks extensively about worship – coming into God’s presence and remembering Who He Is. None of this ignores the condition of the world we live in, but if you’re feeling overwhelmed, let’s follow the example of Jesus. Take a breath. Give thanks. Worship. Let Him reset your perspective. Find some rest. Today.

Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if only you would hear his voice…. –Psalm 95:6-7 (NIV)