Holy Bible: Hebrews 3:7-15

             7 So, as the Holy Spirit says:

               “Today, if you hear his voice,

             8 do not harden your hearts

            as you did in the rebellion,

               during the time of testing in the wilderness,

            9 where your ancestors tested and tried me,

               though for forty years they saw what I did.

            10 That is why I was angry with that generation;

               I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray,

               and they have not known my ways.’

            11 So I declared on oath in my anger,

               ‘They shall never enter my rest.’ ”

            12 See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.

            13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.

            14 We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction    firmly to the very end.
            15 As has just been said:

               “Today, if you hear his voice,

               do not harden your hearts

               as you did in the rebellion.”

Verse: Hebrews 3:13

“Exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.”

            Several years ago a friend took me to a motivational seminar that I thoroughly enjoyed. Instead of focusing on money and success, the leaders guided us toward understanding our unique identity and purpose in life. Then they passed along some helpful methods for effective living. One motto has stayed with me: “Do it now!” The principle they taught us was that it takes as much energy to avoid a task as it does to do it. Procrastination saps power; completion gives relief.

            A spiritual application can be seen in Hebrews 3, a passage filled with an air of immediacy as it calls us to obey the Lord. “‘Today,’ if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, . . . but exhort one another daily, while it is called ‘Today,’ lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin” (vv.7-8,13). We don’t know how long it would have taken the children of Israel to reach the Promised Land if they had obeyed God, but their 40-year journey resulted from their unwilling hearts. An entire generation missed the adventure of a lifetime (vv.8-11).

            When we know how the Lord wants us to live, why don’t we just say “Yes!” No debate, no delay. Do it now!

It’s easy to procrastinate

And leave good deeds undone,

But such a course will bring regrets

When life’s short race is run. —Anon.

Do it now! Today will be yesterday tomorrow.