Dear church,

Have you ever heard God’s voice?

I know some of you would shake your head, “yes.” You know for certain there have been times and places where you heard from God. It may not have been an audible voice, but the message – whatever it was – was unmistakable. And so was the source of the message. You know without a doubt that what you heard came from God.

The writer of Hebrews repeatedly quoted from Psalm 95, which offered a warning to the Israelites – “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” In other words, God still speaks. He was speaking to the ancient Israelites in their wilderness wanderings. He spoke later to the Israelites as they lived in the Promised Land. And he continues to speak today.

If you recall how the book of Hebrews started, you’ll remember that God has various ways of speaking to his people. Long ago, at many times, he spoke through his prophets – through people like Moses and Elijah and Isaiah. More recently, he has spoken by his Son, Jesus Christ. And we know God still speaks through his Holy Spirit, which dwells in each one of his children.

God still speaks. And if we hear his voice, we ought not to harden our hearts. That means we ought to listen to him in faith and obey the calling of his voice.

The writer of Hebrews was seeking to reassure his first hearers that God’s promises were true and that they were infinitely better than anything the world had to offer. The writer was encouraging them to hold fast in the faith, to remain strong, and to continue to trust in God’s promises during hard times.

And if they heard his voice, they were to respond in faith.

Please listen today for the voice of God in your own life and in the life of our church.

Chris