Hebrews 3:7-19

God repeatedly calls to His children, but the condition of each heart determines the result. Those with soft and tender hearts hear His voice and yield to Him in obedience, but those with hard hearts resist His warnings and instructions. Surprisingly, upon hearing the same voice, some believers are motivated to a deeper and more obedient relationship with the Lord, while others reject and refuse Him.

Since hardening is a slow process that's often accompanied by rationalizations and excuses, the danger signs may not be readily recognized. How do you respond when the Lord speaks to you through His Word, your conscience, or messages based on Scripture? Carefully consider the following characteristics of a hardening heart:

• Avoidance of public worship (gathering with other believers)
• Absence of private devotion (Bible reading and prayer)
• Little interest in spiritual matters
• Preoccupation with the things of this world (career, relationships, possessions)
• Resistance to the reproof of others
• Justification of sinful conduct
• Disobedience to what you know the Lord is instructing you to do
• Refusal to put yourself under His authority
• Insensitivity or resistance to what God says

A hard heart does not have to stay in that condition. If you have discovered any of the above traits in your life, begin today to return to the Lord. Ask Him to give you a new heart to know Him (Jer. 24:7). Remember, He specializes in making all things new (2 Cor. 5:17).