In Psalms, chapter ninety-five, verse eight, those who worship and praise the Lord must also hear and obey His voice, as in verses seven and ten. To ignore the voice of the Holy Spirit results in a hardening of our hearts so that we become less and less sensitive to the desires of the Spirit. Our hearts will increasingly grow hard and unyielding until they are no longer sensitive to the Word of God or the desires of the Holy Spirit. Commitment to truth and righteous living will no longer be a priority, but we will more and more seek pleasure in the ways of the world rather than the ways of God.
The Holy Spirit warns us that God will not go on pleading with us indefinitely if we harden our hearts in rebellion, as in Hebrews three, verses seven through eleven, and Genesis six, verse three. There is a point to no return in Hebrews three, verses ten to eleven, Hebrews six, verse six, and Hebrews ten, verse twenty-six. The Holy Spirit speaks to us concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment, as in John sixteen, verses eight through eleven. Also, Romans eight, verses eleven to fourteen, and Galatians five, verses sixteen to twenty-five, respectively. The result of not yielding is facing God’s wrath upon a church or individual.
The theme continues from A Call to Praise the Lord section with being careful not to resist God’s calling. The opposite of not praising and honoring Him is hardening the heart against Him. The challenge for every person is who is leading: The flesh wars against our inner being, which is the Spirit. If we cater to the desires of the physical, we will occupy ourselves with worldly things. However, if we follow the Spirit, the inner being will lead us.