Why today is important

In today's scripture reading I was once again struck by this verse in Hebrews 4:7

God again set a certain day, calling it “Today.” This he did when a long time later he spoke through David, as in the passage already quoted:

“Today, if you hear his voice,
    do not harden your hearts.”

I then looked back and discovered a blog I had written exactly a year before:
Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts
and reminded myself the lesson learned then and again needed to learn afresh today. I was focusing on the lesson on sabbath rest and what God teaches me about trusting in Him and resting on His promises in everything I do.

What I was struck today was also the idea of God setting a certain day, which He calls "Today". The writer of Hebrews seemed to be playing on the word "Today" which appeared in David's Psalm (Psalms 95:7,8) over 400 years before. There are extensive commentaries on Hebrews 4:6,7. After reading quite a few of them, usefulbible.com speaks to me most clearly. The title says it all:  

Why today is important
It is not good enough if people intend to trust God only at some future time. God has chosen a particular time when people must trust him. The author of Hebrews refers to Psalm 95:7-8, which calls that time ‘today’. We need to understand what those authors mean by ‘today’. On that day, God insists that we must have the right attitudes towards him. And only if we do can we enter God’s ‘rest’. That is, the relationship with God where he is present in our lives.

Hebrews 4:7 explains that ‘today’ does not just mean one particular date in the past. David wrote Psalm 95 several centuries after Moses led the people. But David said that the situation was the same as during Moses’ life. David wrote that ‘today’, as then, people could hear God’s words. And it was still important that they had the proper attitudes.

Also, Hebrews 3:13 ("But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.") tells us that each day is still called ‘today’ for this purpose. But clearly, the writer believes that, at some future time, the promise of God’s rest will no longer be available.

Therefore, the meaning of ‘today’ in these passages means the present age.

By the ‘present age’, we mean the time while people on this earth continue not to obey God. During this time, some people have the opportunity to hear God’s voice and to change their attitudes. But this time, the present age, will not last always. When Jesus returns to rule, this present age will end.

But in fact, people’s opportunity to trust God is much shorter than that. God demands that we trust him during our lives on this earth. It is only here, on this earth, that we may receive his good news. Only while we are alive do we have the choice to accept or refuse it.

Of course, nobody knows how long they will live. Nobody knows whether they will have another opportunity to hear God’s message. So, in the end, ‘today’ means what it says. It is this day, now, the day when you are reading this page. This is your opportunity to invite God into your life. This is your opportunity when you can ask him to forgive you. This is your opportunity to trust him. Do not hesitate or delay! Tomorrow may be too late. God is speaking by his word, the Bible, today.

I know this sounded like a message from an evangelistic rally. I also do take this message as a constant reminder for Christians like me. Clark's Commentary says it succinctly:

He limiteth a certain day - The term day signifies not only time in general, but also present time, and a particular space. Day here seems to have the same meaning as rest in some other parts of this verse. The day or time of rest relative to the ancient Jews being over and past, and a long time having elapsed between God's displeasure shown to the disobedient Jews in the wilderness and the days of David, and the true rest not having been enjoyed, God in his mercy has instituted another day - has given another dispensation of mercy and goodness by Christ Jesus; and now it may be said, as formerly, To-day, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. God speaks now as he spoke before; his voice is in the Gospel as it was in the law. Believe, love, obey, and ye shall enter into this rest. 

Lord I do rest in you today!