What Are You Searching For?

Hosea continued...

Scripture:
Hosea 4:10-19 (ESV)

They shall eat, but not be satisfied;
    they shall play the whore, but not multiply,
because they have forsaken the Lord
    to cherish whoredom, wine, and new wine,
    which take away the understanding.
My people inquire of a piece of wood,
    and their walking staff gives them oracles.
For a spirit of whoredom has led them astray,
    and they have left their God to play the whore.
They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains
    and burn offerings on the hills,
under oak, poplar, and terebinth,
    because their shade is good.

Therefore your daughters play the whore,
    and your brides commit adultery.
I will not punish your daughters when they play the whore,
    nor your brides when they commit adultery;
for the men themselves go aside with prostitutes
    and sacrifice with cult prostitutes,
and a people without understanding shall come to ruin.

Though you play the whore, O Israel,
    let not Judah become guilty.
Enter not into Gilgal,
    nor go up to Beth-aven,
    and swear not, “As the Lord lives.”
Like a stubborn heifer,
    Israel is stubborn;
can the Lord now feed them
    like a lamb in a broad pasture?

Ephraim is joined to idols;
    leave him alone.
When their drink is gone, they give themselves to whoring;   their rulers dearly love shame.
A wind has wrapped them in its wings,
    and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.

Devotional:

People are searching for something.  People search for anything.  There is a void or emptiness inside that cannot be filled.  The priests and profits allowed the Israel nation to go astray.  They sought other gods and worshiped idols.  God was displeased, hurt, and angry.  His chosen people left and sought out a new “husband.”  Eventually though they would find themselves empty.  Something big would be missing.  In the end they would eventually realize their mistakes.  God would allow hardships and even exile.  God would turn over His people to their enemies.  Unfortunately, ignorance is not an excuse.  Ignorance does not give you a “get out of jail free” card.  The end of verse 14 states, “and a people without understanding shall come to ruin.”

Today people are searching.  People are hungry. But they do not realize what it is they are searching for.  They do not what they hunger for.  Ignorance is not bliss.  If you walk through a mine field not knowing the mines are not there will not prevent you from stepping on one.  Not knowing Jesus will not lead you to heaven.  On that last day of judgement each and everyone of us will stand before God.  Claiming ignorance will not give you a pass.  Romans 14:11 (ESV) “for it is written, ‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.’”

Are you hungry?  Are you searching?  God is the only one who can fill and satisfy that void in your heart, in your life.  Do not let false teaching lead you astray.  Do not let lies fill your head.  Seek out the truth.  Seek out the only one who can save.  Jesus is the way, the truth, and life.

Always Be In The Truth

Hosea continued...

Scripture:
Hosea 4:7- 9 (ESV)

The more they increased,
    the more they sinned against me;
    I will change their glory into shame.
They feed on the sin of my people;
    they are greedy for their iniquity.
And it shall be like people, like priest;
    I will punish them for their ways
    and repay them for their deeds.

Devotional:

The priests’ sinned, they failed to teach God’s people His ways.  Israel has gone astray partly because of the priests.  One thing is for sure.  God will not tolerate false teachings and leading His people away from Him.  Throughout the Bible God warns against false teachings.  In Ezeliel 13:9 we are told this,

My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and who give lying divinations. They shall not be in the council of my people, nor be enrolled in the register of the house of Israel, nor shall they enter the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord God.

In Jeremiah 23:16,

Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord.”

God is clear not to lead His people in false teachings.  That was happening and what Hosea warned against.  Look around us today.  Do you see people like those profits?  How much false teaching is there?  Never take someone else’s word for something.  Verify what you are taught by comparing it to what God says in the Bible.  If it doesn’t match up, then don’t listen.  If your church or small group is not teaching truth, it is time to move on.  It is OK to question.  It is OK to confront someone.  We must do it in such a way that we do not fall into sin.  We still need to love and be there to support.  We are to correct one another when necessary.  2 Timothy 2:23-26,

Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels.  And the Lord's servant[e] must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

Be sure not to fall into false teachings.  Verify what is taught.  Verify what you teach.  In a loving and caring way, it is OK to approach others to try and help them see what they are doing is wrong.  Do not be confrontational.  Do not do so in anger or bitterness.  Do not be harsh.  But always be in the TRUTH.  Always verify what you are told, taught, or teach with the Bible.  God loves everyone.  He wants all of us to know Him.  He wants everyone to be saved…

Ignorance is Not Bliss

Hosea continued...

Scripture:

Hosea 4:1-6  (ESV)

Hear the word of the Lord, O children of Israel,
    for the Lord has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land.
There is no faithfulness or steadfast love,
    and no knowledge of God in the land;
there is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery;
    they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed.
Therefore the land mourns,
    and all who dwell in it languish,
and also the beasts of the field
    and the birds of the heavens,
    and even the fish of the sea are taken away.

Yet let no one contend,
    and let none accuse,
    for with you is my contention, O priest.
You shall stumble by day;
    the prophet also shall stumble with you by night;
    and I will destroy your mother.
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge;
    because you have rejected knowledge,
    I reject you from being a priest to me.
And since you have forgotten the law of your God,
    I also will forget your children.

Devotional:

Matthew 18:6 (ESV) …but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

Throughout the bible there are scriptures against false teachings and leading God’s people astray.  The first six verses in chapter four indicate that the priests and profits were not teaching God’s laws to the people.  They had fallen ignorant and slipped away from God.  The problem is that ignorance is not bliss.  God didn’t turn a blind eye just because His didn’t know any better.  Verse six states, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge,”.  Because of the priests and profits failed to teach God’s laws and teach the truth to the people God rejected them as well.  God held them to a higher standard, and they failed.  The last half of verse six states “I reject you from being a priest to me.  And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.” 

Israel became ignorant of who God is and His laws.  The priests and profits had stopped teaching the people.  They slipped and fell away from their first love.  The truth is that ignorance is not bliss.  God did not spare Israel just because they didn’t know better.  The same applies to us today.  So even if we could say we do not know anything about God or Jesus we still have sin in our lives.  Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” yes that includes those who claim ignorance.  Do not be fooled.  Do not let ignorance condemn you or your friends and neighbors…

His Love and Redemption

Hosea continued...

Scripture:
Hosea 3 (ESV)

And the Lord said to me, “Go again, love a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, even as the Lord loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love cakes of raisins.” So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a lethech of barley. And I said to her, “You must dwell as mine for many days. You shall not play the whore, or belong to another man; so will I also be to you.” For the children of Israel shall dwell many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or pillar, without ephod or household gods. Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God, and David their king, and they shall come in fear to the Lord and to his goodness in the latter days.

Devotional:

Hosea goes out and redeems or buys back his wife.  Hosea takes back a woman who was unfaithful.  Here God is showing Israel that a time will come when He will redeem His people.  God will buy them back.  But the price God pays is much more than several shekels.  Our redemption cost a life. 

Some might think, “so what, not a big deal…”  Others might think it such a simple matter.  But the truth is different.  Yes, it cast a life.  However, it wasn’t just any life.  The price was much more than a goat or lamb.  The price paid for our redemption was pain and suffering.  It was humiliation and agony.  Christ was beaten.  He wasn’t just hung upon the cross.  Jesus was nailed to the cross.  Jesus hung there in humiliation and shame.  He was in agony.  Yet this paled in comparison to being completely separated from God.

Christ’s death and resurrection are our redemption.  It is a gift to us.  We do not deserve it. We do not have to pay anything for it.  It is given to us.  BUT do not ever think it is cheap.  The price for your redemption, and mine, is very high indeed.  What is the most valuable thing we could ever receive?  The best possible gift given is being reunited with God.  Being given a place in heaven.  Being given life with Him for all eternity.  Hosea’s purchasing his wife and being reunited with her is God’s example of His love and redemption for us.  God went to great lengths and spared no expense for you.  What do you (we) do for Him?

We Are The Bride

Hosea Continued...

Scripture:

Hosea 2: 18-23 (ESV)

And I will make for them a covenant on that day with the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the creeping things of the ground. And I will abolish the bow, the sword, and war from the land, and I will make you lie down in safety. And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy. I will betroth you to me in faithfulness. And you shall know the Lord.

“And in that day I will answer, declares the Lord,
    I will answer the heavens,
    and they shall answer the earth,
and the earth shall answer the grain, the wine, and the oil,
    and they shall answer Jezreel,
    and I will sow her for myself in the land.
And I will have mercy on No Mercy,
    and I will say to Not My People, ‘You are my people’;
    and he shall say, ‘You are my God.’”

Devotional:

In these verses God is talking about a time when the relationship between Israel and Himself will be renewed.  There will be mercy instead of no mercy.  Instead of “Not My People” Once again they will be “You are My People.”  While God’s anger and justice are real so is His love and Mercy.

Maybe its just me but this scream of God’s plan along for mankind.  He reclaimed His people not by the sword or by war.  God not only reclaimed Israel but he reclaimed all mankind.  Through the line of David came the Messiah.  Through Jesus we have been purchased, redeemed, or reclaimed.  A new covenant was made, an everlasting one.  We are God’s people, His children.  Any who accept Jesus as God’s son and believes He died on the cross and rose again will have eternal life.  John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” 

God foretold throughout the Old Testament how He would redeem mankind.  It would be through a new covenant.  Christ is the groom; we are the bride.  God is the groom, Israel the bride.

When God Ran To Me

Hosea continued...

Scripture:
Hosea 2: 14-17 (ESV)

“Therefore, behold, I will allure her,
    and bring her into the wilderness,
    and speak tenderly to her.
And there I will give her her vineyards
    and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.
And there she shall answer as in the days of her youth,
    as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt.

“And in that day, declares the Lord, you will call me ‘My Husband,’ and no longer will you call me ‘My Baal.’ For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, and they shall be remembered by name no more.

Devotional:

Th first part of chapter two continues with Israel’s unfaithfulness to God.  Israel found a new “love” and began following other gods.  But, after awhile Israel did return.  In our verses Hosea shares of God’s mercy.  The Israel nation would follow only God. 

There are times in each of our lives when we struggle with something.  We question God.  We wonder if He is real and or ask if He is listening.  We can feel that God has left us.  The good news for us all is that God has not left.  He does listen.  He is caring.  In the times in our lives when we stray or wander off, we can return.  God will take us back in His open arms.  Luke 15:22-23 ESV “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet.  And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate.’”  If we should run off and squander our lives away remember one thing.  God is waiting on the porch looking over the horizon for His lost son or daughter.  No matter how bad we think we are or how far we stray.  God is waiting.  He will run to you.  When I was a teenager, I heard a song by Benny Hester “When God Ran.”  I always loved the image it gave me.  I could see God running toward me to pick me up and hold me when I really needed it.  Just remember no matter what, God will run to us if we just turn to him...

Did You Leave?

Hosea Continued...

Scripture:

Hosea 2:1-4 (ESV)

Say to your brothers, “You are my people,” and to your sisters, “You have received mercy.”
“Plead with your mother, plead for she is not my wife,
    and I am not her husband—
that she put away her whoring from her face,
    and her adultery from between her breasts;
lest I strip her naked
    and make her as in the day she was born,
and make her like a wilderness,
    and make her like a parched land,
    and kill her with thirst.
Upon her children also I will have no mercy,

Verse 13:
And I will punish her for the feast days of the Baals
    when she burned offerings to them
and adorned herself with her ring and jewelry,
    and went after her lovers
    and forgot me, declares the Lord.

Devotional:

Israel has left God, her husband.  God equates Israel’s seeking other gods as woman being a prostitute.  After many attempts to get Israel’s attention trying to win them over God will turn the nation over to her enemies.  Israel will face exile.  It would seem God has abandoned His people.  God removes His favor. 

God will leave us to our sins.  He will allow us to seek our other gods.  Just as Israel had to face their consequences so will we.  The good news is that all we need to do is turn to Him.  If we repent, really and truly repent God will show us mercy.  We will receive grace.  We need to get our compass out and get our bearings.  We need to head true North, head toward God.  He is there waiting for us to return to Him.  We will still face the consequences of our actions, but we have grace and mercy.  God will not abandon us.  I urge each and everyone of us to head the lessons we learn from the book of Hosea.  We need to learn from Israel’s mistake and not turn away from our true love, God.

Hosea Continued...

Scripture:
Hosea 1:6-11 (ESV)

She conceived again and bore a daughter. And the Lord said to him, “Call her name No Mercy, for I will no more have mercy on the house of Israel, to forgive them at all. But I will have mercy on the house of Judah, and I will save them by the Lord their God. I will not save them by bow or by sword or by war or by horses or by horsemen.”

When she had weaned No Mercy, she conceived and bore a son. And the Lord said, “Call his name Not My People, for you are not my people, and I am not your God.”

Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered. And in the place where it was said to them, “You are not my people,” it shall be said to them, “Children of the living God.” And the children of Judah and the children of Israel shall be gathered together, and they shall appoint for themselves one head. And they shall go up from the land, for great shall be the day of Jezreel.

Devotional:

Gomer bore a daughter after Jezreel.  Hosea was told to name her No Mercie.  God will not show Israel any mercy because they fell away from Him.  In verse six God says I will no more have mercy on the house of Israel…”  He goes on to say that He will have mercy on Juda and that they will be saved not by the bow, sword, war, horse, or by horsemen.  Gomer’s next child was a boy whose name was Not My People.  In Exodus God referred to Israel as “My People” seventeen times.  The Israelites were God’s own.

Through generations of disobedience God had finally had enough.  God’s mercy was no longer going to be with them.  They were no longer God’s people.  They turned their back upon Him.  The message Hosea was giving to Israel is a harsh one.  The end of verse nine says “…for you are not my people and I am not your God.”

God’s warnings are all through the Bible.  He is a jealous God and we are to worship Him alone.  All through the Old Testament God gives His people warnings and a chance to repent.  Time after time Israel slips away.  God gives them messages and wake up calls.  Until finally He had enough, and His people were exiled.

After Adam and Eve sinned, they too were exiled.  We live in that exile.  We are outside of God’s mercy.  God has given us plenty of warnings and plenty of chances.  He is calling.  The question to ask, are we listening?

In Jesus’s time the Jews believed that a messiah would come and overthrow their oppressors.  God made it clear that was not going to be the case.  His plan was different.  He saved in a way no one expected.  Salvation came to us through a baby who would grow into a man.  He lived a perfect life to become the perfect sacrifice for all.  Through Jesus we are one of God’s own.  John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” 

God lets us know when we stray.  He gives us warnings and wants us to return to Him.  Our way to Him is through Jesus.  Our sins can be forgiven.  Even after we accept Christ we can and will make mistakes.  However, we still can head God’s warnings and return to Him.  Once we believe and accept Christ as our savior, we are God’s children.

A friend asked me to do some devotionals on the Book of Hosea.  So, this is the beginning of a Daily Devotional series on the Book of Hosea.  Prayerfully I seek God's voice in writing this series...

A Whisper

Scripture:
Hosea 1:1-5 (ESV)

The word of the Lord that came to Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.

When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, “Go, take to yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the Lord.” So he went and took Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.

And the Lord said to him, “Call his name Jezreel, for in just a little while I will punish the house of Jehu for the blood of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. And on that day I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel.”

Devotional:

Hosea was a profit of God in the time frame of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.  His mission field was Ephraim, the Northern Kingdom of Israel.  He was a profit in a time of unrest.  God was getting ready to Isolate Himself from Israel.  Exile was coming.  In our first few verses we are told that Hosea was to take a wife who was a prostitute.  This was a simple of Israel’s prostitution to other gods.  Israel was not faithful to God.  Baal worship had become significant for the Israel nation.  They lost favor in God’s eyes.  Jazreel and the breaking of the bow is a simple of God’s defeat over Baal.

In the opening of the book of Hosea God is using Hosea’s family and his life to symbolize Israel and how the nation was not faithful to God.  Take a moment in your life to reflect on moments, people, places or things God has tried to show you where you have fallen short.  God gives us a chance to correct our ways.  He will help us to refocus on Him.  God’s profits in the old testament were used to warn His people.  To help them see their mistakes and to once again follow Him.  God does the same for each one of us.

We are given the chance and opportunity to refocus on Him.  He will give us messages along the way to try and get our attention.  The question to ask yourself, am I listening?  Do I hear Him speaking?  We can ignore God.  We can get so distracted with things, even things we think are for God, we cannot hear Him.  That is why it is so important to pause, be still and know that He is God.  Psalm 46:10 “’Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth!’”

I am guilty of not being still.  Often times I miss hearing God speak because I am busy and it is too loud to hear his soft voice…  I urge you to pause, take time out to be quite and listen.  You might be surprised to hear a small voice whispering…

Fear, Trust, Hope, Love, Faith, continued

Scripture:

Matthew 14:25-30 (ESV)

And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”

And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.”

Devotional:

Fear, trust, hope, love, faith are all things in our lives.

In the previous Daily Devotional, we discussed faith.  The tremendous amount of faith it must have taken to walk upon water.  Today I want to mention trust.  Is it easy for you to trust?  Take a moment and ask yourself who you trust and why.  What was it that earned your trust in them?  How long did it take to trust them? 

Now think about the one you can always trust.  Do you truly trust Jesus?  How much do you trust him?  We place faith in trust in friends and family.  We place trust in the auto makers.  We trust that the cars we buy will work and keep us safe, well as safe as possible.  Yet, each one of them will fail us at some point.  In fact, let’s face it even you and I will fail someone who trusts us.  Jesus will never fail.  If we step out of the boat and onto the water, you better not trust me to keep you on top of the water…  I may hold you up for a time, from within the boat.  But even I will eventually drop you.  Then down you go… Instead when you step out of the boat you can trust Jesus.  He will never drop you.  He is out on the water walking.  If your focus is truly on Him, you too can be walking on top of the water. 

It all goes back to focus.  If you focus on the wrong things you will eventually sink.  With the wrong focus we will struggle.  Maybe not today or even tomorrow but eventually struggles and hardships will come.  In fact, they will come even with our focus on Jesus.  What’s the difference?  We can trust Jesus and place our faith in Him to see us through it.  We can get through it and even be better for it.  Jesus is faithful and trustworthy.  With Him we too can walk on water.  Do you trust Him?

Fear, Trust, Hope, Love, Faith...

Scripture:

Matthew 14:25-30 (ESV)

And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”

And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.”

Devotional:

Fear, trust, hope, love, faith are all things in our lives.  It seems that more times than I care to count I struggle with my faith.  You would think after all these years of seeing God’s presence in my life I would have the faith of ten mustard seeds.  Instead, I struggle from time to time.  Through difficult times my first inclination is to seek God.  As things progress and an end is not in sight struggle can sink in.

Look at Peter.  He saw Christ walking on the water.  At first they were afraid.  Then I think a bit of doubt.  Peter asks Jesus that if it is Him to tell him to walk on the water too.  So Jesus commands Peter to come to Him upon the water.  Talk about faith.  If I had half that faith I believe I could move mountains.  Look at some facts.  Peter is a man with a bit of weight.  He steps out of the boat and obviously he either starts to swim or he sinks.  What does he do?  He steps out upon the water.  What happens he is walking as if on solid ground.

I don’t know about you but that takes a tremendous amount of faith to do.  Think about different times in your life.  Where have you had to make that giant step of faith?  Did you?  Sometimes I did and in the end it was great.  Sometimes fear took over and I let it pass.  Each of us has the capacity to walk out upon the water to Jesus. 

The question I ask is where is your focus?  When Peter was focused on Jesus, he was walking just fine.  It wasn’t until he changed his focus to the events around him that he began to sink.  Here comes one of my problems.  For whatever reason I change my focus.  I then let fears set in.  Sometimes I let that fear cripple me.  To avoid this trap all I had to do is keep my focus on Jesus.  You would think it easy, but I think it is something we all struggle with at times in our lives, if you don’t please tell me your secret… 

The good news is that Jesus walked to Peter and took his hand.  Instantly Peter was back up on the water.  Even when we are too caught up in what is going on around us and we are sinking Jesus is reaching for us.  There may be times when we do not see it, or feel His hand touching ours.  Be sure to know that He is there.  Peter refocused on Christ.  We can too.  Before you know it you will be back on the water walking side by side with Jesus.  Fear is real.  It can cripple you.  But remember He who is with us is bigger than he who is in this world…

(to be continued…)