Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day 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, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.) Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Hebrews 3:7-13 (KJV)

Have you ever noticed that the word heart contains the word ear? We must have a heart o hear God, then we will have ears to hear Him. As we listen for God and to God, we develop the art of hearing God. However, we can be hindered in hearing Him.

Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, Heberews 3:7 (KJV)

This tells us that hearing God’s voice is a choice.

Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: Hebrews 3:8 (KJV)

Hardening the heart speaks of not obeying when we hear God’s voice. It isn’t enough to hear- we must also obey what He says.

Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. Hebrews 3:10 (KJV)

The word grieved is the Greek word prosochthizo, which means to be displeased with. The New International Version (NIV) translates it angry. This speaks of God’s righteous anger. God was angry at that generation of people because they did not believe God and were disobedient. According to the passage above, they had hard hearts, hearts that erred, and evil hearts. This hindered them from hearing God.

As our hearts stay soft before the Lord, we can hear God, for we will have ears to hear. We won’t be dull of hearing, or hard of hearing. Through obedience, we’ll have developed the art of hearing God. As a result, we won’t miss who God is, what He is telling us, or where He is leading us. Instead, we will have a heart for God, to hear Him, know Him, and obey Him. Our desire will be to serve Him, love Him, and honor Him all our days with a right heart- a heart for God.