Jesus is Calling You Today

And so the chimes have been playing, Jesus calls us, who are all the tumults of life, and he says, come and follow me.

And so his call comes to us this hour in Family Devotions.

We read in Hebrews 3, 7, these words, which will be our scripture text for Family Devotions this time.

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, the Lord says, and said, They do always err in their heart, and they have not known my ways.

And then in Hebrews 3.13 we find virtually the same words.

But exhort one another daily while it is called today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

And then we look at Hebrews 3.15 and find the same words again.

While it is said, today if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts as in the days of provocation.

That is, in the days when Israel provoked the Lord.

Another translation says, Don't close your minds as happened when the people provoked me.

Or still another translation, Do not grow stubborn as in those days of rebellion.

Or another translation says, You must not harden your hearts as they did in provoking me.

And then in Hebrews 4, Verse 7, we find almost the same words again.

Today, after so long a time as it is said, today if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

It seems to me that anything that is said four times in the short space of Hebrews 3 and 4 must be very important.

It must be an important message for us.

Today, hear his voice and harden not your heart.

Here we find the duty.

And the duty is this, to hear his voice.

God calls.

God calls through his Son, Jesus Christ.

It's not your father or your brother or the teacher or your mother or your minister.