Unbelief

“Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.” -Heb 3:12 (KJV)

Today the world is engulfed in war, turmoil, deceitfulness, evil, hate and uncertainty. People rely on themselves or their government to sustain them across all levels in society. Are we any different than the ancient Hebrews as they escaped the perils of Egypt and traveled through the wilderness of Sinai? Even though they were miraculously delivered from their taskmasters and captors – the ancient Egyptians – they complained and sought to return to Egypt almost all the way through their sojourn in this wilderness. Yet the Lord God continued to supply all their needs – food, water, clothing even in the midst of a treacherous landscape of mountains, sand and blowing wind. Even though His hand was with them, they constantly disobeyed Him and complained against their leader – Moses. But make no mistake, there was a price that they would pay – the consequence of their sin – for their relentless rebellion against the Lord.

Let’s bring this down home right into our lives, our living rooms. We are almost in constant disobedience to God’s word and we complain constantly. Let me explain. We complain about our cable TV being out. We get upset because the fast food drive-thru isn’t going fast enough, etc and etc.  But do we take the time to learn more about God, to get closer to Him and actually know Him? We don’t read God’s word because we are tired from working so hard all day or it’s too late at night or this or that and our excuses run rampant. Our happiness and contentment in our lives is cuddled by our coziness with worldly desires and stuff. Our trust, faith and confidence in Almighty God is almost nowhere to be found. All these things beloved equate to unbelief as we become just like the ancients traveling through their wilderness of life.

What about our unbelief in the protection and provision of our Lord God, the Creator of all that is seen and that which is unseen? What about our belief that He is our God and will supply our needs? I think many underestimate the importance of unbelief in God as it relates to our Christianity. We discount how all this looks in God’s eyes for our thoughts are not about Him most of the time. The verse above says that unbelief equates with an ‘evil’ heart. Did you get this? Evil heart! The ancient Hebrews were prevented from entering God’s rest because of their disobedience and unbelief. Do you understand then the importance of this in your relationship with the Lord? Listen to more verses in Hebrews about how the ancients hardened their hearts from hearing the Lord:

“Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, Today 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.
Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.) ” -Heb 3:7-11 (KJV)

Folks, we don’t consider how our unbelief and lack of obedience to God’s word impacts our lives. I think we cast this away from our contemporary thinking and most unfortunately from today’s church pulpits. Do you ever hear about the importance of unbelief in your church? Do you ever hear about the impact of continual rejection of God’s word and how your heart will become hardened over a period of time? All sobering questions that demand answers.

One last very important detail in this section of Paul’s letter to the new converts from Judaism to Christianity is how often are we to exhort one another in the things of the Lord? Look at this next verse:

“But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.”  -Heb 3:13 (KJV)

When was the last time we talked about the Lord within our groups and in our personal conversations between friends and family? Exhortation as the verse describes above means to encourage, strengthen, console, instruct, and yes, even to admonish one another while it is still today. Do you and your Christian friends and family exhort one another or are you too busy with life’s busyness and cares to bother? Realize that when we don’t do this we leave ourselves open for sin to creep into our lives and the hard shell around our heart begins to take shape.

Please take these verses – God’s word – to your heart and meditate on them letting them soak deep into your spirit. For God’s words are living words (John 6:63) and able to make you see clearly through the wilderness of our lives. We need Him daily, we need to keep our hearts soft and fertile for His Holy Spirit to speak to us and us to Him. Friends, please do not harden you heart in unbelief with the only One who loves you with a love that surpasses all understanding. Be filled with all the fulness of Almighty God today.

-BPWatcher