October 17, 2026 -Soften Your Heart
“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
The Israelites when they were in the desert turned away from God and when He spoke to them, they hardened their hearts and did not listen to Him. And because their hearts were hardened, they did not get to enter the promised land. The land that God freely offered to them.
“We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end. As has just been said: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.””
Hebrews 3:14-15 NIV
If you have heard Jesus' teaching and the good news of the Gospel and not trusted your life to Jesus, the Holy Spirit may be speaking to you. If you are refusing to receive the promise that He offers, then you are hardening your heart.
“Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies perished in the wilderness? And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.”
Hebrews 3:16-19 NIV
As we look to the Old Testament to see Jesus, the promised land that the Israelites were offered points us to the promise of eternity with Jesus on a new earth. That is the promised land we look forward to as believers. And just as the Israelites did not trust in the promises and word of God and hardened their hearts so they could not enter the promised land, if you hear and do not believe in Jesus and trust His promise you too will not be able to enter the promised land. It is not God that sends people to the eternal torment that we all deserve for our lifetime of sin it is their unbelief. Their unwillingness to trust in the free gift that Jesus offers.
If you have been reading the last few days, then you have heard the good news that Jesus is freely offering you. If there is something stopping you from putting your faith in Jesus or you aren't sure if you have or how, ask Him. Just talk to God like you would a friend. That is all prayer is. Talking to God. Ask Him to soften your heart and show you how to live your life trusting in Him. He can and will send the Holy Spirit to change a heart that is open to Him. But part of talking to a friend is listening to them. To listen first and most important is to keep reading the bible. Then get involved in a church that teaches the bible. If you listen to podcasts and radio there are great Christian options.
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