(August 17th)
Hebrews 3:7-9 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.
Today in History: In 1228 Genghis Khan died. In 1795 George Washington signs a treaty with Great Britain. In 1920, the 19th amendment was ratified. In 1941, Hitler suspends the Euthanasia Program. In 1991 Coup against Gorbachev in Russia.
All these dates are important to World History, yet their importance pales compared to what the Scripture tells us about today in our lives.
Hebrews 3:13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
This scripture calls on man to make the decision for eternal life before the lies of the devil sway him into another path. It sounds as if the writer of Hebrews is telling the Jews that it is necessary to make a decision right when they are reading the scripture. God calls on mankind to do the same thing. The Bible is just as true even though it was written as much as 2000 years ago for the New Testament. Sin and the deceitfulness of sin is still in the world today, in fact, it seems to be getting worse every day.
Hebrews 4:7 Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
This scripture reminds us that God limited the decision to a specific day in the lives of Israel. They had, after so long a time, to make up their minds.
IKings 18:21 “And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.”
Elijah came in a time when the nation was wholy given over to the worship of Baal, a false god that required a sacrifice so severe that I can only imagine what it was like. The statue of Baal was built of iron and the iron was heated with an internal fire. The statue had hand reaching out to receive a sacrifice. Men and women placed their baby children in these hands while the drum and the instruments of music played loudly to drown out the scream of the child as it burned. Elijah was asking them to choose between a God of Goodness or a god of torture… and they answered not a word. They feared the king and queen, for they had commanded this worship.
Joshua 24:15 “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
Joshua called on the people of his time to make up their minds about whom they were going to serve. He and his house chose the LORD.
James 4:13-14 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
James tells us of the foolishness of long range planning without asking Gods blessing on it. God calls on us to make decisions for we do not know “what shall be on the morrow”. No one plans for an early death. No one plans for a failed business. Our planning is always positive, yet it is subject to God’s Grace. If we live long, it is by Gods Grace. If we succeed in business it is because of God’s Grace, yet we cannot count on what shall happen tomorrow. That is why God calls on men to come to Him as soon as they hear the Word of God and know they need salvation from their sins.
Joel 3:14 “Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.”
Joel, speaking by the Holy Spirit, tells us that the valley of decision is a sacrea place, for God Himself is near at that time. When we are call on to make a decision to receive Christ as our Savior or to dedicate our lives to His service, God is there, pleading with us to make the right decision.
2Peter 3:7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
This is why the Day of Decisionis so important. Judgment is coming. Soon it will be too late. You are called just so many times, then God abandons you to your choices. If you chose sin over salvation, He will allow it, yet there is a penalty for the desire to live in sin.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Revelation 20:14-15 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Make up your mind today before it is too late. Do I serve God or live for the devil? It is our choice.
