“Today, if you will hear His voice,

Do not harden your hearts…”

“Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.  For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account” (Heb 4:7-13)

Man is rebellious by nature. Our tendency is to ignore, dislike, disbelieve and reject the Word of God. Also, our natural tendency is to receive, to believe and trust the words of men. The Holy Spirit has to do a deep work in your heart before you can change to appreciate and trust the Word of God.

The Word of God is not like the human words. It always comes with power to produce results. The Word of God never comes alone but is always accompanied by its Owner, the Holy Spirit. Think of this…If your child speaks, you can choose to ignore him. But if, for example Obama speaks, nations tremble, for he has the authority to start a war or to bless with just a word.

No man ignores the Word of God and remains the same. He will be better or worse than he was before he heard that sermon.  Some are hardened unto destruction. This is a very serious warning from God!

There are only two types of people: some hear the Word, believe and receive. By faith and obedience hey make instant progress in their spiritual life. This shall manifest in many visible blessings. And there are others who hear the same Word but reject it. Immediately, their heart becomes hardened. There is no neutral place for the hearers of the Word of God. It is dangerous to attend church and remain unwilling to trust the Word of God. A hard heart is stubborn, harsh, foolishly proud, unreasonable, un-teachable, difficult, holding on his opinion even when things go wrong. This peculiar hardness is God’s stamp upon a rebellious man and changes him into a trouble maker. Even in the presence of danger, he will not submit to the good counsel of God or that of holy men. This man becomes reckless with his life, wasting it in foolish enterprises and carried away by false hopes.

God’s Word is penetrating and powerful like a sword. In the natural, who will not fear a soldier with a polished mighty sword in his hand? Only a fool will be blind to the danger of a sword. That weapon can wound, can amputate a limb, can disable a giant and kill a Goliath. But even so, the natural sword can never enter in the invisible realm of the Spirit and wound our innermost being.

But the Word of God penetrates into the secret heart, to the place of the Spirit, to where we think and make our decisions. The Word of God judges the purpose and motives for every action, even the desire for ministry and the choice of it. The shield of faith can stop evil attacks. But there is no shield in this universe that can stop the Word of God from entering into the hearts of men and performing its desire. It always accomplishes its purpose for which it has being sent. There is no cover to hide, to cave to run to, no army that can defend a rebellious man who rejects the Word of God. The punishment shall be a shameful, restless life, a guilty conscience and at last, a squatting in hell. This warning is giving to the believers too, for it is possible to neglect the study of the Word of God and prayer. It is possible to go into error and secret backsliding. God forbid!

The promise to the faithful and obedient hearer and doer of the Word is rest. The word means to settle down as a winner, to sit down on a royal throne. This is my testimony of rest in Christ: There was a war. I defeated my enemy and now I take over his property. His slaves are now mine to do what I want with them. This blessed rest means strength, victory and prosperity.

May you fear the God who speaks and expects total obedience!

May your obedience be rewarded with blessings from above!

Come to Jesus! Believe in His Word and He will give you rest for your souls!

In Christ alone:

I hear and I obey the Word of God!

I study my Bible daily!

I pray always!

I enter God’s promised rest for my soul!

I settle down as a winner in the Kingdom of God!

In Jesus name

Amen!