Today’s Reading: Isaiah 41-44, Psalm 80

Turn us again to yourself, O God.
Make your face shine down upon us.
Only then will we be saved.
O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies,
how long will you be angry with our prayers?
You have fed us with sorrow
and made us drink tears by the bucketful. – Psalm 80:3-5

Have you ever had a day, week or season of your life that was particularly difficult? Does it ever seem like each day there is one more unexpected surprise or new loss. Even when things are difficult and life is challenging, I am so grateful that I can pray to the God who loves me enough to stay by my side through every challenge.

GOD IS FAITHFUL TO CARRY YOU THROUGH EVERY SITUATION THAT HE HAS CALLED YOU TO ENDURE.

He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.
Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion.
But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint. – Isaiah 40:29-31

We serve such an incredible God! The Creator of everything LOVES US enough to care for us. He sees everything we are going through, knows us better than anyone else, and cares enough to give us what we need. He gives strength when we are weak and comfort when we are grieving. To trust God is like climbing on the wings of an eagle and soaring above life’s circumstances.

GOD’S SUPPLY OF STRENGTH IS ENDLESS AND HIS UNDERSTANDING IS LIMITLESS.

So what does God have planned for today? No matter what His plan, we can be confident of this — He will equip us for what is ahead. There is no need to argue or negotiate.

How foolish can you be? He is the Potter, and he is certainly greater than you, the clay! Should the created thing say of the one who made it, “He didn’t make me”? Does a jar ever say, “The potter who made me is stupid”? – Isaiah 29:16

“And why have I called you for this work?
Why did I call you by name when you did not know me…” – Isaiah 45:4

YOU CAN TRUST GOD’S PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE BECAUSE GOD IS TRUSTWORTHY..

There have been many times when I have wondered why God chose me for the purpose to which He has called me. I assume we have all had moments like this – moments when we wonder what our purpose is or we question why God chose us for this specific purpose. At times, we look to the person on our left and the person on our right, and we ask God why His plan for them is so different from His plan for us.

“What sorrow awaits those who argue with their Creator. Does a clay pot argue with its maker? Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying ‘Stop, you’re doing it wrong!’” – Isaiah 45:9

God, only you know your plan for my day and I submit to your plan. Thank you for caring for me; thank you for carrying me. Use me for your purposes today, Oh Lord. Give me eyes to see what you see and a heart that trusts you with the details. Lord, may I find new strength for today. Fill my life with good things and make your face shine upon me. Amen.

And yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We all are formed by your hand. – Isaiah 64:8

Let all that I am praise the Lord;
with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.
Let all that I am praise the Lord;
may I never forget the good things he does for me.
He forgives all my sins
and heals all my diseases.
He redeems me from death
and crowns me with love and tender mercies.
He fills my life with good things.
My youth is renewed like the eagle’s! – Psalm 103:1-5

Why am I discouraged?
Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
I will praise him again—
my Savior and my God! – Psalm 43:5

Attention! Let all the people of the world listen!
Let the earth and everything in it hear.
The Sovereign Lord is making accusations against you;
the Lord speaks from his holy Temple.
Look! The Lord is coming!
He leaves his throne in heaven
and tramples the heights of the earth.
The mountains melt beneath his feet
and flow into the valleys
like wax in a fire,
like water pouring down a hill. – Micah 1:2-4

The prophet Micah gives us beautiful descriptions of God. He assigns words that help us see the heart of God while also recognizing the power of God. We see that God’s love for us runs deep, and it is out of this deep love that He calls us to live in righteousness. He is our Shepherd who guides us for the sake of protecting us and providing for our needs. The Good Shepherd leads us in the way we should go.

DO NOT RESIST THE HEART OF GOD.

Therefore, I will mourn and lament.
I will walk around barefoot and naked.
I will howl like a jackal
and moan like an owl.
For my people’s wound
is too deep to heal.
It has reached into Judah,
even to the gates of Jerusalem. – Micah 1:8-9

“Someday, O Israel, I will gather the remnant who are left.
I will bring you together again like sheep in a pen, like a flock in its pasture.
Yes, your land will again be filled with noisy crowds!
Your leader will break out and lead you out of exile,
out through the gates of the enemy cities, back to your own land.
Your king will lead you; the Lord himself will guide you.” – Micah 2:12-13

THE LORD HIMSELF WILL GUIDE YOU.

Micah’s message to God’s people included words of hope — words that held a promise for the future. This time of exile would not last forever, and Jerusalem would one day be strong again. And the Lord Himself would be king forever! Allow this story of hope beautifully penned by Micah to wash over your soul today.

“In that coming day,” says the Lord,
“I will gather together those who are lame,
those who have been exiles,
and those whom I have filled with grief.
Those who are weak will survive as a remnant;
those who were exiles will become a strong nation.
Then I, the Lord, will rule from Jerusalem
as their king forever.” – Micah 4:6-7

Then the remnant left in Israel
will take their place among the nations.
They will be like dew sent by the Lord
or like rain falling on the grass,
which no one can hold back
and no one can restrain.
The remnant left in Israel
will take their place among the nations.
They will be like a lion among the animals of the forest,
like a strong young lion among flocks of sheep and goats,
pouncing and tearing as they go
with no rescuer in sight.
The people of Israel will stand up to their foes,
and all their enemies will be wiped out. – Micah 5:7-9

THIS SAME GOD GIVES US HOPE FOR A BETTER TOMORROW — A DAY WHEN WE WILL EXPERIENCE HIS COMPASSION AND SEE THE EVIDENCE OF HIS FAITHFULNESS.

Where is another God like you,
who pardons the guilt of the remnant,
overlooking the sins of his special people?
You will not stay angry with your people forever,
because you delight in showing unfailing love.
Once again you will have compassion on us.
You will trample our sins under your feet
and throw them into the depths of the ocean!
You will show us your faithfulness and unfailing love
as you promised to our ancestors Abraham and Jacob long ago. – Micah 7:18-20

Why am I discouraged?
Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
I will praise him again—
my Savior and my God! – Psalm 43:5

Today’s Reading: Micah 1-4; Psalm 66

Up! Begone! This is no longer your land and home, for you have filled it with sin and RUINED it completely. – Micah 2:10

GOD HAD A PLAN TO REBUILD HIS PEOPLE, BUT THEY WOULD HAVE TO WALK THROUGH THE RUINS BEFORE THEY FOUND REDEMPTION.

God had made a covenant with His people and they had ignored their promises to Him and forgotten His faithfulness. He brought them out of Egypt to the land of Canaan, yet they chose to walk away from His plan for them. They rejected God and demanded an earthly king. He told them to serve Him only and to have no other gods before Him, yet they worshiped false gods and bowed to idols. They put themselves on the throne where God was meant to reign, and the consequence was ruins.

I will bring you to RUIN for all your sins.
You will eat but never have enough.
Your hunger pangs and emptiness will remain.
And though you try to save money, it will come to nothing in the end…
You will plant crops but not harvest them.
You will press your olives but not get enough oil to anoint yourselves.
You will trample the grapes but get no juice to make your wine…
I will make an example of you, bring you to complete RUIN. – Micah 6:13-16a

God’s people used His covenant with them as an excuse to sin. They said, “No harm will come to us for the Lord is here among us” (3:11). But God is not obligated to reward our sin. He created us for righteousness, not rebellion.

GOD USED MICAH TO CALL HIS PEOPLE BACK TO RIGHTEOUSNESS THROUGH A MESSAGE OF REBUKE AND A CALL TO REDEMPTION.

“Listen, you leaders of Israel! You are supposed to know right from wrong, but you are the very ones who hate good and love evil…Then you beg the Lord for help in times of trouble! Do you really expect him to answer? After all the evil you have done, he won’t even look at you!” – Micah 3:1,4

“O my people, what have I done to you?
What have I done to make you tired of me? Answer me!
For I brought you out of Egypt and REDEEMED you from slavery.
I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to help you.
Don’t you REMEMBER…REMEMBER your journey…
When I, the Lord, did everything I could to teach you about my faithfulness.” – Micah 6:3-5

FROM A PLACE OF REMORSE, GOD’S PEOPLE REPENTED OF THEIR SINS AND INQUIRED OF THE NECESSARY RETRIBUTION.

What can we bring to the Lord?
What kind of offerings should we give him?
Should we bow before God with offerings of yearling calves?
Should we offer him thousands of rams and ten thousand rivers of olive oil?
Should we sacrifice our firstborn children to pay for our sins?

No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he REQUIRES of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. – Micah 6:6-8

AMONG THE RUINS WAS A GLIMMER OF HOPE — A PROMISE THAT GOD WOULD AGAIN RESCUE AND RESTORE HIS PEOPLE.

“Someday, O Israel, I will gather the remnant who are left.
I will bring you together again like sheep in a pen, like a flock in its pasture.
Yes, your land will again be filled with noisy crowds!
Your leader will break out and lead you out of exile,
out through the gates of the enemy cities, back to your own land.
Your king will lead you; the Lord himself will guide you.” – Micah 2:12-13

I love this RESPONSE to the hope given by God:

As for me, I look to the Lord for help.
I wait confidently for God to save me, and my God will certainly hear me…
Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light.
I will be patient as the Lord punishes me, for I have sinned against him. – Micah 7:7-9

I hate being punished. It is extremely uncomfortable to be called out on an error and have to admit you were wrong. I have no problem apologizing but suffering the consequences of my mistakes or sins is miserable. To be surrounded by the mess I have made is a rough place to be. I am so thankful I serve a God who RESCUES and RESTORES me when I REPENT of my sins in true REMORSE.

I look to you for help, Oh Lord – my God will certainly hear me. When I am surrounded by darkness, the Lord is my light. I can survive the ruins because I am not alone. My God, you are with me on this path to redemption — this journey of grace. Thank you for being a loving God!!! Amen.

Come and listen, all who fear God, and I will tell you what he did for me.
For I cried out to him for help, praising him as I spoke.
If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.
But God did listen! He paid attention to my prayer.
Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer or withdraw his unfailing love from me. – Psalm 66:16-20

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 40

Not only was King Hezekiah’s life impacted by God’s willingness to move the sundial back ten steps, the prophet Isaiah witnessed God’s amazing power through this sign. If he didn’t fully know before, he definitely knew now — nothing was too difficult for God! In fact, Isaiah knew that God was too big for man to fully understand — too awesome for our human minds to fathom!

Who else has held the oceans in his hand?
Who has measured off the heavens with his fingers?
Who else knows the weight of the earth or has weighed the mountains and hills on a scale?
Who is able to advise the Spirit of the Lord?
Who knows enough to give him advice or teach him?
Has the Lord ever needed anyone’s advice?
Does he need instruction about what is good?
Did someone teach him what is right or show him the path of justice? – Isaiah 40:12-14

To whom can you compare God? – Isaiah 40:18a

“To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal?” asks the Holy One.
Look up into the heavens.
Who created all the stars?
He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name.
Because of his great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing. – Isaiah 40:25-26

CAN WE TRULY GRASP HOW INCREDIBLE OUR GOD IS?

I love this passage! We serve a God who is more incredible than we can even wrap our minds around! Our human understanding causes us to compare God to what we know, but God is so much bigger than ANYTHING we know. So why do I question Him or struggle to trust Him? Why do I think I know better than He does of what I need or what should happen? Consider the lyrics of this song by Addison Road (addisonroad.com):

I guess I thought that I had figured You out / I knew all the stories and I learned to talk about / How You were mighty to save / Those were only empty words on a page / Then I caught a glimpse of who You might be / The slightest hint of You brought me down to my knees / What do I know of You who spoke me into motion? / Where have I even stood but the shore along Your ocean? / Are You fire? Are You fury? Are You sacred? Are You beautiful? / What do I know? What do I know of Holy? [What Do I Know of Holy, Addison Road] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsJ3_PmsYr0

If we were to try to understand the ocean by merely standing on the beach, we would gain very little knowledge of the wonders of this great body of water. If we were to wade in as far as possible, our understanding would increase because we would be experiencing the power of the ocean, but we would still have so much to learn.

He is the Potter, and he is certainly greater than you, the clay!
Should the created thing say of the one who made it,
“He didn’t make me”?
Does a jar ever say,
“The potter who made me is stupid”? – Isaiah 29:16b

Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways! – Romans 11:33

TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND GOD REQUIRES DIVING DEEPER, GOING FARTHER, AND TRUSTING WITH A MUCH GREATER FAITH.

Our God is SO big, so CAPABLE of handling anything we may be facing. Read these words of Isaiah as if they were written specifically to you.

O ________, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles?
O________, how can you say God ignores your rights?
Have you never heard?
Have you never understood?
The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth.
He never grows weak or weary.
No one can measure the depths of his understanding.
He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.

Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion.
But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint. – Isaiah 40:27-31

God, we trust you this morning with every detail of our lives. Forgive us for the times when we have tried to fit you into a definition of who we believe you to be. Help us to grasp just how amazing you are. May our understanding of your wisdom give us the confidence to trust you even when we don’t get what we want. May our hope lie only in you, and may our faith continue to grow each day as we spend time in your word. Amen.

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 38-39, 2 Kings 20, 2 Chronicles 32:24-33

King Hezekiah became deathly ill. The prophet Isaiah gave Hezekiah a message from the Lord stating that he would not survive this illness. Hezekiah had served God and country well, but it was his time to die.

When Hezekiah heard this, he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, “Remember, O Lord, how I have always been faithful to you and have served you single-mindedly, always doing what pleases you.” Then he broke down and wept bitterly.

Then this message came to Isaiah from the Lord: “Go back to Hezekiah and tell him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your ancestor David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will add fifteen years to your life, and I will rescue you and this city from the king of Assyria. Yes, I will defend this city.’” – Isaiah 38:2-6

God saw the heart of Hezekiah and responded by answering his prayers. Before Isaiah had even left the middle courtyard of the palace, the Lord was giving him a message of healing to give to Hezekiah (2 Kings 20:4). Not only did God respond to the king, he responded quickly. He sent instructions on what Hezekiah needed to do in order to recover.

I HAVE HEARD YOUR PRAYER AND SEEN YOUR TEARS.

If you are wondering today if God hears you, remember Hezekiah. If you are wondering this morning if the desires of your heart matter to God, consider what happened next.

Then Isaiah said, “Make an ointment from figs.” So Hezekiah’s servants spread the ointment over the boil, and Hezekiah recovered!

Meanwhile, Hezekiah had said to Isaiah, “What sign will the Lord give to prove that he will heal me and that I will go to the Temple of the Lord three days from now?”

Isaiah replied, “This is the sign from the Lord to prove that he will do as he promised. Would you like the shadow on the sundial to go forward ten steps or backward ten steps?”

“The shadow always moves forward,” Hezekiah replied, “so that would be easy. Make it go ten steps backward instead.” So Isaiah the prophet asked the Lord to do this, and he caused the shadow to move ten steps backward on the sundial of Ahaz! – 2 Kings 20:7-11

God’s word through the prophet Isaiah was not enough for Hezekiah. He needed a sign. Again, God showed grace towards Hezekiah and moved the shadow on the sundial ten steps backward to show He keeps His promises.

GOD CREATED TIME AND IS CAPABLE OF ALTERING IT. HE IS NOT BOUND BY IT OR OBLIGATED TO IT.

I am not convinced that Hezekiah deserved this amazing gift from God, but I am thankful that we have this story to read thousands of years later. I am grateful that we serve a God who hears, who responds, and who is able to do whatever He wants to do. He is not bound by time or space; He is not obligated, and yet he responds to us out of the generosity of His heart. Nothing is too difficult for our God.

Instead of humbly receiving this gift of life from the Lord, Hezekiah became prideful. When the king of Babylon heard that Hezekiah had been sick, he sent an envoy carrying a gift for Hezekiah. In pride, Hezekiah showed the Babylonians EVERYTHING in his storehouse, and then God showed Hezekiah that the Babylonians would soon come back to take it all. He even revealed that Hezekiah’s sons would be captured and made to be eunuchs in the palace of Babylon’s king. Hezekiah’s heart was revealed when he only showed relief that there would be peace for the rest of his own lifetime, instead of grieving what others would suffer because of his foolish pride.

In this story of King Hezekiah’s life, we see a leader who captured the heart of God and was given an extra fifteen years of life. This same leader lost sight of the God who had healed him and started finding his identity in all he had accomplished. God literally moved time back for Hezekiah, yet the king chose to brag about all the treasures he had accumulated instead of bragging on the greatness of his God. It was a foolish leadership move on his part to show the enemy his storehouse, but it was an even greater mistake for him to let pride get in the way of his submission to God.

Lord, we praise you for being the God who is capable of stopping time, slowing it down, or speeding it up. Nothing is impossible for you! But we also take time this morning to show our gratitude for being the God who responds to our cry for mercy. May we never lose sight of how amazing you are; may we never lose sight of how hopeless we are without you. Amen.

Today’s Reading: 2 Kings 18:13-19:37; 2 Chronicles 32:1-23; Isaiah 36-37

The King of Assyria was pressing in on the nation of Judah, making threats and taunting the people with plans to destroy Judah. He attacked the fortified towns of Judah and conquered them. Jerusalem was next. The king sent a message mocking Hezekiah’s faith that God would protect them.

WHAT ARE YOU TRUSTING IN THAT MAKES YOU SO CONFIDENT?

“Do you think that mere words can substitute for military skill and strength? Who are you counting on, that you have rebelled against me?” – Isaiah 36:4b-5

Assyria’s chief of staff made comments like, “Don’t let Hezekiah deceive you. He will never be able to rescue you from my power. Don’t let him fool you into trusting in the Lord by saying, ‘The Lord will surely rescue us…’” (2 Kings 18:29-30).

“But perhaps you will say to me, ‘We are trusting in the Lord our God!’… I’ll tell you what! Strike a bargain with my master, the king of Assyria. I will give you 2,000 horses if you can find that many men to ride on them! With your tiny army, how can you think of challenging even the weakest contingent of my master’s troops, even with the help of Egypt’s chariots and charioteers? What’s more, do you think we have invaded your land without the Lord’s direction? The Lord himself told us, ‘Attack this land and destroy it!’” – Isaiah 36:7-10

But King Hezekiah, knowing and trusting in God to deliver, prayed this prayer before the Lord: “O Lord, God of Israel, you are enthroned between the mighty cherubim! You alone are God of ALL the kingdoms of the earth. You alone created the heavens and the earth. Bend down, O Lord, and listen! Open your eyes, O Lord, and see! Listen to Sennacherib’s words of defiance against the living God” (2 Kings 19:15-16).

Hezekiah knew how big his God was! In response to his faith, God sent Hezekiah a message through the prophet Isaiah: “Do not be disturbed by this blasphemous speech against me from the Assyrian king’s messengers. Listen! I myself will move against him, and the king will receive a message that he is needed at home. So he will return to his land, where I will have him killed with a sword” (Isaiah 37:6b-7).

I WILL FIGHT THIS BATTLE FOR YOU!

The King of Assyria had destroyed so many nations, each having a god that they were trusting in for their protection. But King Hezekiah recognized that these were not gods at all – they were only idols made of wood and stone, carved and shaped by human hands. He recognized the difference between other nations and the nation of Judah — they didn’t have the God of Israel on their side! So the king prayed in confidence, “Now, O Lord our God, rescue us from his power; then all the kingdoms of the earth will know that you alone, O Lord, are God” (Isaiah 37:20).

“And this is what the Lord says about the king of Assyria:
‘His armies will not enter Jerusalem.
They will not even shoot an arrow at it.
They will not march outside its gates with their shields
nor build banks of earth against its walls.
The king will return to his own country
by the same road on which he came.
He will not enter this city,’ says the Lord.
‘For my own honor and for the sake of my servant David,
I will defend this city and protect it.’”

That night the angel of the Lord went out to the Assyrian camp and killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. When the surviving Assyrians woke up the next morning, they found corpses everywhere. Then King Sennacherib of Assyria broke camp and returned to his own land. He went home to his capital of Nineveh and stayed there. One day while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him with their swords. – 2 Kings 19:33-37a

WHAT ARE YOU TRUSTING IN THAT MAKES YOU SO CONFIDENT?

When others mock your faith in God, do you stand confident in what your God is capable of doing? Let me encourage you today to see the difference between your God and the “kings” of this world. Your God is aware of everything going on in your life. Your God has the power and strength to win any battle. Your God has the heart to fight your battles for you. He knows you well — where you stay, where you come, and where you go. Your God is great and there is no one else like Him — no battle too big, no distance too far, no love as great as His!

“How great you are, O Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you. We have never even heard of another God like you!” – 2 Samuel 7:22

“O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you in all of heaven above or on the earth below. You keep your covenant and show unfailing love to all who walk before you in wholehearted devotion.” – 1 Kings 8:23

Today’s Reading: Hosea 11-14

The love story of Hosea and Gomer is A STORY OF MERCY. Hosea’s love for Gomer was sacrificial, life-affirming, passionate and redemptive. What a great example of Christ’s love for us! While we were still sinners, Christ died for us! His love for us is sacrificial — He gave His life on the cross! Three days later, He conquered death and rose to life in order that we might experience eternal life. His passionate love for us is displayed in the greatest act of history! His heart of mercy held a PLAN OF REDEMPTION. Jesus Christ is alive and loves us with a redeeming love that restores us.

WHERE ARE YOU ON HIS MERCIFUL PATH OF REDEMPTION?

God desires to have an intimate relationship with us.

I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices.
I want you to know me, more than I want burnt offerings. – Hosea 6:6

God generously blesses our lives, yet we tend to turn away from all He has for us.

But the richer the people get, the more pagan altars they build.
The more bountiful their harvests, the more beautiful their sacred pillars.
The hearts of the people are fickle; they are guilty and must be punished. – Hosea 10:1-2

“I have been the Lord your God ever since I brought you out of Egypt.
You must acknowledge no God but me, for THERE IN NO OTHER SAVIOR.
I took care of you in the wilderness, in that dry and thirsty land.
But when you had eaten and were satisfied, you became proud and forgot me.” – Hosea 13:4-6

God calls us to a life of righteousness.

I said, “Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of love.
Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you.” – Hosea 10:12

Out of His great mercy, God punishes us with consequences to our unfaithfulness.

God’s discipline is for the purpose of restoring us to a right relationship with Him — the relationship He sent His Son to reconcile. He punishes us as a form of redirection, because He loves us and wants us to experience His perfect plan for our lives. He knows that when we sin we live in slavery to our sinful nature, but He wants us to experience true freedom in Christ.

“Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces; now he will heal us. He has injured us; now he will bandage our wounds. In just a short time he will restore us, so that we may live in his presence. Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring.” – Hosea 6:1-3

God’s judgment is always followed by the hope of restoration.

The Lord says, “Then I will heal you of your faithlessness;
my love will know no bounds, for my anger will be gone forever…
My people will again live under my shade…O Israel, stay away from idols!
I am the one who answers your prayers and cares for you.
I am like a tree that is always green; all your fruit comes from me.”
The paths of the Lord are true and right, and righteous people live by walking in them. – Hosea 14:4-9b

IT’S WORTH ASKING AGAIN — WHERE ARE YOU ON THIS PATH OR JOURNEY?

Are you enjoying an intimate relationship with God, resting in His plan and His purpose? Are you turning away from all of His blessings in our lives and continuing to search for something the world has to offer? Is God even now transforming your Valley of Trouble into a Gateway of Hope? Are you living once again under His shade, where the tree is always green and He is bearing fruit in your life?

Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know him. – Hosea 6:3a

Today’s Reading: Hosea 7-10

The love story of Hosea and Gomer is A STORY OF JEALOUSY — not a sinful jealousy that selfishly wants another person all to themselves, but a passionate love that wants the full devotion of another person for the sake of the one they love. Chasing after the things of this world only leads to sadness and regret, but true love wants their partner to experience the full life of blessings that God has planned for them. Hosea pursued Gomer’s love because he knew how beautiful life could be for both of them if they were faithful to the covenant relationship of marriage.

Their arrogance testifies against them, yet they don’t return to the Lord their God or even try to find him. – Hosea 7:10

As we read through the book of Hosea, we find that God was frustrated with the Israelites. He had done so much for His people, yet generation after generation turned their hearts from Him. God wanted to redeem them, but they rebelled against Him (7:13). God had made them a strong nation, providing for their every need, yet they turned to other nations instead of depending on Him to rescue them from their enemies. God was jealous of the love they were giving to everything except Him. He wanted their full attention; God wanted them to fully know Him and the beautiful life He had to offer them. But they rejected the covenant relationship God had offered to them.

“I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices.
I want you to know me, more than I want burnt offerings.” – Hosea 6:6

“Israel has built many altars to take away sin,
but these very altars became places for sinning!
Even though I gave them all my laws,
they act as if those laws don’t apply to them.
The people love to offer sacrifices to me,
feasting on the meat,
but I do not accept their sacrifices.
I will hold my people accountable for their sins,
and I will punish them.
They will return to Egypt.
Israel has forgotten its Maker and built great palaces,
and Judah has fortified its cities.
Therefore, I will send down fire on their cities
and will burn up their fortresses.” – Hosea 8:11-14

My God will reject the people of Israel
because they will not listen or obey.
They will be wanderers,
homeless among the nations. – Hosea 9:17

“I said, ‘Plant the good seeds of righteousness,
and you will harvest a crop of love.
Plow up the hard ground of your hearts,
for now is the time to seek the Lord,
that he may come
and shower righteousness upon you.’
But you have cultivated wickedness
and harvested a thriving crop of sins.
You have eaten the fruit of lies—
trusting in your military might,
believing that great armies
could make your nation safe.” – Hosea 10:12-13

Maverick City Music recently released a song that talks about the jealousy of our God, helping us understand God’s love for us. It speaks of how it breaks God’s heart when He sees us dancing with the enemy; it breaks His heart when His bride is living in adultery. God created us to live in relationship with Him — for Him to be the only one we love. He is jealous for us because He loves us. He wants to have an intimate relationship with us, with nothing drawing us away from Him. [Jealous was written by Chandler Moore, Charles Butler & Kirk Franklin, and is from Maverick City Music’s collaboration album with Kirk Franklin entitled “Kingdom Book One”.]

As I read through the book of Hosea, I see myself in the tendencies of the Israelites. God, I ask you to forgive me for allowing my priorities to get wrapped up in my own desires. Thank you for pursuing my heart with a patient love. I am grateful for your grace, but I recognize my need this morning to be faithful to my relationship with you. I don’t want to be so comfortable with your willingness to forgive me that I abuse the grace you so generously offer. It is my desire to plant seeds of righteousness today, so that I can harvest a crop of love. Thank you for meeting with me this morning. I love you. Amen.

Today’s Reading: Hosea 4-6

Hear the word of the Lord, O people of Israel!
The Lord has brought charges against you, saying:
“There is no faithfulness, no kindness,
no knowledge of God in your land.
You make vows and break them;
you kill and steal and commit adultery.
There is violence everywhere—
one murder after another.
That is why your land is in mourning,
and everyone is wasting away.
Even the wild animals, the birds of the sky,
and the fish of the sea are disappearing. – Hosea 4:1-3

THE LOVE STORY OF HOSEA AND GOMER IS A STORY OF GRACE.

Hosea loved Gomer, but she was unfaithful time and time again. Though Gomer did not deserve it, Hosea would go in pursuit of her each time she strayed away from him and into the arms of another man. He would pay a price to win her back and bring her home. Hosea’s love for his wife despite her infidelity parallels God’s love for His people, even when we flirt with temptation or give ourselves to someone or something other than Him.

You have left me as a prostitute leaves her husband;
you are utterly defiled.
Your deeds won’t let you return to your God.
You are a prostitute through and through,
and you do not know the Lord. – Hosea 5:3b-4

God created us to live in relationship with Him. Our relationship with God is like a marriage that requires fidelity and faithfulness. Not only does God want to be worshiped, He wants to be loved. God does not just want our empty words, He wants our sincere obedience. The Lord wants to be known by us so that He can show us how completely He knows us. For Him to offer us this kind of bond, even after we have sinned against Him, is evidence that we serve a God of grace — a God who shows us unmerited favor.

O Israel and Judah,
what should I do with you?” asks the Lord.
“For your love vanishes like the morning mist
and disappears like dew in the sunlight.
I sent my prophets to cut you to pieces—
to slaughter you with my words,
with judgments as inescapable as light.
I want you to show love,
not offer sacrifices.
I want you to know me
more than I want burnt offerings.
But like Adam, you broke my covenant
and betrayed my trust. – Hosea 6:4-7

WE ARE RECIPIENTS OF GOD’S UNMERITED FAVOR.

Consider the heart of God that He would desire to show us love rather than condemnation; ponder the love of a God who wants to be known by us, even though this intimacy is completely undeserved by us. Since Adam, God’s creation has been breaking their covenant agreement with the Creator. Generation after generation has denied His Sovereignty and rejected His plan of salvation. And yet He paid the price for our sins.

But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ. And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. – Romans 5:15-16

God, we thank you for your grace. Our hearts are grateful this morning for your unmerited favor. We recognize that you have been in pursuit of our hearts before we even recognized your great love for us. May today’s time in your word remind us that we serve a God of kindness and grace, who not only patiently offers us salvation but who desires our full adoption into His family. May we remain faithful to you for the rest of our lives as we grow in our knowledge of who you are and all you have done for us. Amen.

God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. – Ephesians 1:5-7

Today’s Reading: Hosea 1-3

God gave Adam & Eve an incredible opportunity to live in intimacy with their Creator. He provided generously for them, yet they chose to disobey. Even though He had greatly blessed them, they disregarded God’s plan, ignored God’s purpose in their creation and satisfied their own desires instead of faithfully following God. This began the pattern of sin, generation after generation, until God’s beautiful creation was deeply in need of a Savior — a sacrificial lamb.

God gave the nation of Israel this same opportunity to live in relationship with Him. He rescued them from slavery and gave them Canaan — a land flowing with milk and honey. He showered them with spiritual and material blessings, asking them to stay on His path of righteousness and worship Him only. But they disregarded God’s plan, ignored God’s purpose and satisfied their own desires instead of chasing after everything God desired for them. They messed up God’s perfect plan.

When the Lord first began speaking to Israel through Hosea, he said to him, “Go and marry a prostitute, so that some of her children will be conceived in prostitution. This will illustrate how Israel has acted like a prostitute by turning against the Lord and worshiping other gods.” – Hosea 1:2b

At times God calls us to a higher level of obedience. Occasionally he asks us to do something out of the ordinary because He has something extraordinary to do through us. God told Hosea to marry the prostitute, and Hosea responded in obedience.

The prophet Hosea’s life became an example of the unfaithfulness of Israel to their God. Hosea married a prostitute who continued to be unfaithful to him despite his generous love to her. Hosea’s anguish over his wife’s sins represents the heart of our God who grieves when we choose to love ourselves or something else more than we love Him. There were consequences to Gomer’s unfaithfulness, which came from a heart full of mercy, just as God’s punishment and the natural consequences of our sins come out of a heart of MERCY FOR THE PURPOSE OF REDEMPTION.

She doesn’t realize it was I who gave her everything she has – the grain, the new wine, the olive oil; I even gave her silver and gold. But she gave all my gifts to Baal.
But now I take back…
I will strip her…
I will put an end to…
I will destroy…
I will punish…
But then I will win her back once again.
I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her there.
I will return her vineyards to her and transform the VALLEY OF TROUBLE into a GATEWAY OF HOPE.
She will give herself to me there, as she did long ago when she was young,
when I freed her from her captivity in Egypt.
When that day comes,” says the Lord, “you will call me ‘my husband’ instead of ‘my master.’…
I will make you my wife forever, showing you righteousness and justice, unfailing love and compassion.
I will be faithful to you and make you mine, and you will finally know me as the Lord. – Hosea 2:8-20

God offers each one of us the incredible opportunity to live in an intimate relationship with our Creator – the one who knows everything about us and loves us more than we can imagine. He enters into a covenant relationship with us, requiring us to walk down a path of righteousness — following God’s plan, clinging to God’s purposes, and living fully for Him. When we break that covenant by putting something else or someone else ahead of Him, He allows us to go through a time of judgment or punishment or consequences for our actions out of His great love and mercy for us. This serves as His way of drawing us back to Him in order that He might restore us and reestablish His covenant with us.

GOD’S HOPE ALWAYS FOLLOWS HIS JUDGMENT!

Then the Lord said to me, “Go and love your wife again, even though she commits adultery with another lover. This will illustrate that the Lord still loves Israel, even though the people have turned to other gods and love to worship them.” – Hosea 3:1

Father God, show us the ways in which we are being unfaithful to you. Take our fickle hearts and redeem us for your purposes. May we never take our covenant relationship with you for granted, and may we experience a sense of hope as we look forward to your response. Lord, we are pressing in to know you more. Amen.

“Come, let us return to the Lord.
He has torn us to pieces; now he will heal us.
He has injured us; now he will bandage our wounds.
In just a short time he will restore us,
so that we may live in his presence.
Oh, that we might know the Lord!
Let us press on to know him.
He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn
Or the coming of rains in early spring.” – Hosea 6:1-3