Who Are You Listening To?
Who Are You Listening To? The Danger of a Hardened Heart
In our noisy world filled with countless voices competing for our attention, one question rises above all others: Who are you really listening to? This isn't just about the podcasts we stream or the advice we seek—it's about the spiritual voices that shape our hearts, our faith, and ultimately our destiny.
The Voice That Matters Most
Scripture reminds us with urgency: "Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts." That word "today" carries weight. Not tomorrow. Not when circumstances align perfectly. Not after we've sorted everything out. Today.
The Holy Spirit speaks to us in that still, small voice—but are we listening? Or have we become so accustomed to the cacophony of other voices that we've lost the ability to discern His call?
Here's a sobering truth: No one can say "Jesus is Lord" except by the Holy Spirit. We cannot save ourselves. We cannot manufacture faith through our own efforts. The Spirit must draw us. This fundamental reality should fill us with both gratitude and urgency. When we feel that knock at our heart's door, when we sense the Spirit's gentle invitation, we dare not take it for granted.
The Voices That Lead Us Astray
The enemy of our souls—the one who comes to steal, kill, and destroy—doesn't always announce himself with obvious evil. Sometimes he uses circumstances. Sometimes he uses well-meaning people. Sometimes he simply amplifies our own hurt and disappointment until God's voice becomes distant and unclear.
Consider the Israelites who had just witnessed God's miraculous deliverance from Egyptian bondage. They had seen the plagues, walked through the Red Sea on dry ground, and watched their oppressors swallowed by water. Yet within days, they were complaining. Within weeks, they wanted to return to slavery. Their hearts had hardened.
How does this happen? How do people who once experienced God's power so dramatically end up wandering in the desert for forty years, never entering the rest He had prepared for them? The answer is found in Hebrews: unbelief. And unbelief often begins with listening to the wrong voices.
When Good People Give Bad Advice
Not all misguided voices come from obvious enemies. Sometimes the people who love us most can inadvertently lead us away from God's call. The Apostle Paul experienced this firsthand when he felt called to Jerusalem. One after another, people who cared deeply for him—even prophets—warned him not to go. They prophesied accurately about the suffering that awaited him there.
Picture the scene: Paul standing on the beach, ready to board the ship, while friends literally held onto him, begging him not to go. With tears streaming down his face, he had to push away from them. "You're making me cry," he told them, "but I must go because the Lord told me to."
This is the tension we sometimes face. Good people, people who love us, may give us advice that contradicts what God is saying. Their intentions are pure, but only one voice ultimately matters.
The Transfiguration: A Lesson in Priorities
On the Mount of Transfiguration, Peter, James, and John witnessed something extraordinary. Jesus was transfigured before them, His appearance radiating divine glory. Moses and Elijah appeared, discussing Jesus's coming crucifixion.
Overwhelmed, Peter blurted out what seemed like a good idea: "Let's build three tabernacles—one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah!" He meant well. He wanted to honor these great figures. But he was putting them on equal footing with Jesus.
God's response was immediate and clear: A cloud overshadowed them, and a voice declared, "This is my beloved Son. Listen to Him."
Not Moses. Not Elijah. Not even the most respected spiritual leaders of our day. Listen to Him.
The Progressive Hardening
A hardened heart doesn't happen overnight. It's a gradual process that often begins with hurt. We pray, and the answer doesn't come the way we expected. We trust, and we get disappointed. We serve, and we feel unappreciated. Slowly, imperceptibly, our hearts begin to close.
The person who once wept during worship now sits unmoved. The believer who once eagerly shared their faith now changes the subject when Jesus is mentioned. The heart that was once broken before God has developed a protective shell.
This is why the warning in Hebrews is directed not to unbelievers, but to "brothers"—to the church. Christians can develop hard hearts. We can move from belief to unbelief, from passion to indifference, from hearing God's voice clearly to barely recognizing it at all.
The Urgency of Today
There's a verse in Genesis that should give us all pause: "My Spirit will not always strive with man." God is patient. His mercy endures forever. He doesn't give up on us after three strikes. But there may come a point when the knock becomes fainter, when the voice becomes harder to hear, when the Spirit stops striving.
This isn't meant to frighten us into manipulated decisions, but to awaken us to the precious gift of hearing God's voice. When we feel that knock, when we sense that invitation, when the Spirit draws us—whether to salvation, to repentance, to a new calling, or to deeper intimacy—we should respond with gratitude and urgency.
Keeping Our Hearts Tender
How do we prevent our hearts from hardening? How do we maintain that childlike openness to God's voice?
First, we stay in the Word. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. When we consistently read Scripture, we're not just gaining knowledge—we're positioning ourselves to hear God speak.
Second, we cultivate discernment. Not every voice claiming to speak truth actually does. We need the Holy Spirit's gift of discernment to distinguish His voice from the counterfeits.
Third, we remain broken before Jesus. Pride hardens hearts faster than almost anything else. Humility, thankfulness, and a recognition of our constant need for grace keep our hearts pliable.
Finally, we respond when we hear. Obedience keeps the channel of communication open. When we consistently ignore God's voice, it becomes harder to hear.
The Invitation Still Stands
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him, and he with Me."
Jesus is still knocking. On the hearts of those who don't know Him. On the hearts of believers who've drifted. On the hearts of the wounded who've closed themselves off.
The question isn't whether He's knocking. The question is: Are you listening? And will you open the door?
Today—not tomorrow, not someday, but today—if you hear His voice, don't harden your heart. The voices of this world will fade. The opinions of others, however well-intentioned, will prove inadequate. But the voice of the Good Shepherd, the One who gave His life for His sheep, will guide you into all truth.
His sheep hear His voice. Are you listening?
In our noisy world filled with countless voices competing for our attention, one question rises above all others: Who are you really listening to? This isn't just about the podcasts we stream or the advice we seek—it's about the spiritual voices that shape our hearts, our faith, and ultimately our destiny.
The Voice That Matters Most
Scripture reminds us with urgency: "Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts." That word "today" carries weight. Not tomorrow. Not when circumstances align perfectly. Not after we've sorted everything out. Today.
The Holy Spirit speaks to us in that still, small voice—but are we listening? Or have we become so accustomed to the cacophony of other voices that we've lost the ability to discern His call?
Here's a sobering truth: No one can say "Jesus is Lord" except by the Holy Spirit. We cannot save ourselves. We cannot manufacture faith through our own efforts. The Spirit must draw us. This fundamental reality should fill us with both gratitude and urgency. When we feel that knock at our heart's door, when we sense the Spirit's gentle invitation, we dare not take it for granted.
The Voices That Lead Us Astray
The enemy of our souls—the one who comes to steal, kill, and destroy—doesn't always announce himself with obvious evil. Sometimes he uses circumstances. Sometimes he uses well-meaning people. Sometimes he simply amplifies our own hurt and disappointment until God's voice becomes distant and unclear.
Consider the Israelites who had just witnessed God's miraculous deliverance from Egyptian bondage. They had seen the plagues, walked through the Red Sea on dry ground, and watched their oppressors swallowed by water. Yet within days, they were complaining. Within weeks, they wanted to return to slavery. Their hearts had hardened.
How does this happen? How do people who once experienced God's power so dramatically end up wandering in the desert for forty years, never entering the rest He had prepared for them? The answer is found in Hebrews: unbelief. And unbelief often begins with listening to the wrong voices.
When Good People Give Bad Advice
Not all misguided voices come from obvious enemies. Sometimes the people who love us most can inadvertently lead us away from God's call. The Apostle Paul experienced this firsthand when he felt called to Jerusalem. One after another, people who cared deeply for him—even prophets—warned him not to go. They prophesied accurately about the suffering that awaited him there.
Picture the scene: Paul standing on the beach, ready to board the ship, while friends literally held onto him, begging him not to go. With tears streaming down his face, he had to push away from them. "You're making me cry," he told them, "but I must go because the Lord told me to."
This is the tension we sometimes face. Good people, people who love us, may give us advice that contradicts what God is saying. Their intentions are pure, but only one voice ultimately matters.
The Transfiguration: A Lesson in Priorities
On the Mount of Transfiguration, Peter, James, and John witnessed something extraordinary. Jesus was transfigured before them, His appearance radiating divine glory. Moses and Elijah appeared, discussing Jesus's coming crucifixion.
Overwhelmed, Peter blurted out what seemed like a good idea: "Let's build three tabernacles—one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah!" He meant well. He wanted to honor these great figures. But he was putting them on equal footing with Jesus.
God's response was immediate and clear: A cloud overshadowed them, and a voice declared, "This is my beloved Son. Listen to Him."
Not Moses. Not Elijah. Not even the most respected spiritual leaders of our day. Listen to Him.
The Progressive Hardening
A hardened heart doesn't happen overnight. It's a gradual process that often begins with hurt. We pray, and the answer doesn't come the way we expected. We trust, and we get disappointed. We serve, and we feel unappreciated. Slowly, imperceptibly, our hearts begin to close.
The person who once wept during worship now sits unmoved. The believer who once eagerly shared their faith now changes the subject when Jesus is mentioned. The heart that was once broken before God has developed a protective shell.
This is why the warning in Hebrews is directed not to unbelievers, but to "brothers"—to the church. Christians can develop hard hearts. We can move from belief to unbelief, from passion to indifference, from hearing God's voice clearly to barely recognizing it at all.
The Urgency of Today
There's a verse in Genesis that should give us all pause: "My Spirit will not always strive with man." God is patient. His mercy endures forever. He doesn't give up on us after three strikes. But there may come a point when the knock becomes fainter, when the voice becomes harder to hear, when the Spirit stops striving.
This isn't meant to frighten us into manipulated decisions, but to awaken us to the precious gift of hearing God's voice. When we feel that knock, when we sense that invitation, when the Spirit draws us—whether to salvation, to repentance, to a new calling, or to deeper intimacy—we should respond with gratitude and urgency.
Keeping Our Hearts Tender
How do we prevent our hearts from hardening? How do we maintain that childlike openness to God's voice?
First, we stay in the Word. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. When we consistently read Scripture, we're not just gaining knowledge—we're positioning ourselves to hear God speak.
Second, we cultivate discernment. Not every voice claiming to speak truth actually does. We need the Holy Spirit's gift of discernment to distinguish His voice from the counterfeits.
Third, we remain broken before Jesus. Pride hardens hearts faster than almost anything else. Humility, thankfulness, and a recognition of our constant need for grace keep our hearts pliable.
Finally, we respond when we hear. Obedience keeps the channel of communication open. When we consistently ignore God's voice, it becomes harder to hear.
The Invitation Still Stands
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him, and he with Me."
Jesus is still knocking. On the hearts of those who don't know Him. On the hearts of believers who've drifted. On the hearts of the wounded who've closed themselves off.
The question isn't whether He's knocking. The question is: Are you listening? And will you open the door?
Today—not tomorrow, not someday, but today—if you hear His voice, don't harden your heart. The voices of this world will fade. The opinions of others, however well-intentioned, will prove inadequate. But the voice of the Good Shepherd, the One who gave His life for His sheep, will guide you into all truth.
His sheep hear His voice. Are you listening?
Recent
Archive
2026
2025
May
June
August
September
October
November
Categories
no categories
No Comments