Hebrews 12:25(NLT)
“25 Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven!”
The Word of God teaches us how to live in a way that keeps His blessings flowing in our lives. Hebrews 12:25 warns us not to be like those who think they know everything. They refuse to listen to people that speak the truth of God’s Word. God warns us to be ever so careful that we do not do this. In Numbers 14:34, through Moses, God told the children of Israel that they would wander around in the wilderness for forty years because they refused to believe God’s promise and would not be obedient to His Word. They died there and were not able to see the land that God promised His people. Those that were living during that time and had refused to listen to Moses, God’s leader, paid a heavy price. Our Heavenly Father makes it clear that just as they would not escape death and destruction because of their disobedient actions, that same fate awaits us if we do the same. Like those who wandered and died in the wilderness, God will not give us a pass if we refuse to listen and obey Him.
Hebrews 12:26(NLT) tells us, “When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now he makes another promise: “Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also.” As parents, we can have a tone of voice that is drenched with authority. Our kids hear it and know we mean business. They straighten up because they understand we’re speaking something they must pay attention to. They must heed our word, because not doing so might get them a consequence they won’t like. Our Heavenly Father is the ultimate authority. When He speaks, there’s no more to be said. Many people do not believe this. They disobey His Word and dishonor His authority. He wants us to know that this decision comes with a heavy consequence. It’s a price that none of us should ever want to pay.
His Word shakes things up. When He spoke to Moses from Mount Sinai, the earth was shaken. He was merciful then, because this shaking did not destroy everything. But one day, everything in heaven and earth will be shaken, and this will be impossible to ignore. Hebrews 12:27(NLT) tell us, “This means that all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakable things will remain.”
The question we should ask ourselves is whether or not we are unshakable. If we’re in Christ, and we are obedient to God’s Word, Jesus Christ said in Luke 6:48(NLT) that we are “like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built.” But if we’re focused on this world instead of on God’s handywork, we’re wobbling, because James 1:6-8(NLT) tells us, “6 for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. 7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.”
Before we accepted Jesus Christ, we were weak, superficial, and lost, but that’s no longer the case. Because of what God accomplished through His only begotten, Son, we are no longer blind. We are new creations in Christ, and all our Heavenly Father sees is the Christ in us. Let’s see what God sees. He loves us so much, and our Heavenly Father doesn’t flip-flop or waver in His love for us. He’s consistent and perfect in all that He does, and Ephesians 2:10(NLT) tells us that, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”
God has warned us to be careful not to slip away from His Word. We’re His children. We’re precious to Him, and He wants to keep us under His care. We have to want that too. Maybe you’ve wandered away from the faith, and you’re feeling that Heavenly Father doesn’t want to be close to you again. Trust that this couldn’t be further from the truth. God wants to be close to you, and He wants you to return to Him and to His Word. He’s the One who called you. He has a plan for your life, so don’t continue to reject it. God is correcting you, so get back on the path. The fuel for a productive life is to be committed to Him. He’s warned us about not paying attention and ignoring His Word. We must do all that we can to heed this warning. We must change our direction and get on board with the example of Christ. When we do, we can live abundantly through our Lord and Savior and do the good things that God has called us to do. ■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“When God Warns You from Heaven”, written for victoryinjesuschrist.life. Copyright© 2024. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
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