Jonah 4- Selfishness Revealed

 ”Then the Lord God appointed a plant, and it grew over Jonah to provide shade for his head to rescue him from his trouble. Jonah was greatly pleased with the plant. When dawn came the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, and it withered. 

And the Lord said, “You cared about the plant, which you did not labor over and did not grow. It appeared in a night and perished in a night. So may I not care about the great city of Nineveh, which has more than a hundred twenty thousand people who cannot distinguish between their right and their left, as well as many animals?”“

‭‭Jonah‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬-‭7‬, ‭10‬-‭11‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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We open this chapter thinking we should be celebrating because the ENTIRE CITY repents and is following God.  That is amazing and only something God can do.  BUT Jonah is angry because God is not destroying these people (his enemies)…God however is patient and gives this illustration to Jonah.

Jonah is so selfish: leaving the comfort of his home was too burdensome, giving his enemy an opportunity to repent make him gag, watching God show mercy on them makes him suicidal and then the shade plant dies and he is filled with vitriol.  The only person Jonah cares about is himself.

God, it is amazing that You can use anybody for your purposes.  Even people like Jonah, and someone like me.  Keep me from my natural desire to be self focused.  Help me to care about others like You do and allow me to recognize when selfishness is creeping in so that I can repent. I need You lord or I will follow my own desires and it will look just as ridiculous to others as Jonah looks in this chapter…I want to bring You glory, not bring trials on myself.

Jonah 3- Transformed by Mercy

 ”Furthermore, both people and animals must be covered with sackcloth, and everyone must call out earnestly to God. Each must turn from his evil ways and from his wrongdoing. Who knows? God may turn and relent; he may turn from his burning anger so that we will not perish. 

God saw their actions — that they had turned from their evil ways  — so God relented from the disaster he had threatened them with. And he did not do it.“

‭‭Jonah‬ ‭3‬:‭8‬-‭10‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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Jonah finally obeys and goes to Nineveh with Gods message: “you will be destroyed on 40 days!” Somehow, this is the perfect message they needed to hear…they turn, they repent and humbly request that God might change His mind.  When God sees their actions and their change of posture, He shows mercy on them all.

Gods purpose is completed without the need for punishment! The people of Nineveh are surrendered to God and He is pleased.  I know that God desires the same from us, to hear His message and instantly be convicted and our actions transformed!  Not just for a day, or week or month, but real heart transformation that can be recognized by others and changes everything about us!

God, I am so blessed by your mercy, the way You change us by Your power when we recognize that You are right. That is definitely not what I deserve!  You know everything about how I think, and act…you know my motivations and my attitudes…and shockingly, you still love me!  I have been incredibly transformed by Your grace and mercy, I pray that my whole family and all my friends would experience that same delight of knowing You!!!

Jonah 2- Only God Saves

 ”As my life was fading away, I remembered the Lord, and my prayer came to you, to your holy temple. but as for me, I will sacrifice to you with a voice of thanksgiving. I will fulfill what I have vowed. Salvation belongs to the Lord.“

‭‭Jonah‬ ‭2‬:‭7‬, ‭9‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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Once the sailors understand that Jonah is the reason for the ferocious storm, they throw Jonah overboard…and Jonah is drowning.  In his last moments of life Jonah thinks about God, who he is running away from.  It is as if everything becomes clear in a moment, he knows that God can save him.

Jonah prays to God, remembers that God wants us to be thankful and declares…only God can save me!  The very One he was avoiding, the One Jonah was running away from, the One who gave him explicit instructions that Jonah was rejecting…the only One who could save him.

It’s a shame that Jonah has to be on deaths door to see things clearly.  God, help me to be clear headed about You at all times.  I know that I can be stubborn, but give me wisdom to look only to You, to nothing else!  Help me to live in thankfulness to You so that I don’t think about myself too much. Help me to bring my family to You, after all, You are the only one who can save!

Jonah 1- Motives Matter

 ”“Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it because their evil has come up before me.” Jonah got up to flee to Tarshish from the Lord’s presence. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. He paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the Lord’s presence.“

‭‭Jonah‬ ‭1‬:‭2‬-‭3‬ ‭CSB‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/1713/jon.1.CSB

This well known story is still amazing to me.  God tells Jonah exactly what to do and Jonah understands but does the opposite.  We don’t know exactly why, but we know that he comprehends and then does the inverse of what God asked of him.

I am shocked by this because I feel like so much of the time I am eager to “know what God wants me to do”.  This is typically in the big decisions in life and I really want to do the right thing, so that I don’t screw it up again!  Lord, help me to change my motives…I want to do the right thing so that you would be pleased!

But then, I think about the small things in life where “I know exactly what you want me to do”, yet I do exactly the opposite by choosing sin.  God help me to view every choice I make in light of the story of Jonah!  I need to continue to seek you on the big things in life and be surrendered to please you!!! AND all the little choices every day require my surrender!!!

God, thank you for helping me to see the flaw in my motivation.  Let me be pleasing to you as I walk with you so you don’t have to throw me overboard, just to follow your plan!

Obediah 1- Trusting God

 ”Your arrogant heart has deceived you, you who live in clefts of the rock in your home on the heights, who say to yourself, “Who can bring me down to the ground?” Though you seem to soar like an eagle and make your nest among the stars, even from there I will bring you down. This is the Lord’s declaration.“

‭‭Obadiah‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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These minor Prophets had a tough job: trying to get Gods people to see the foolishness of their own way and the Love and Power of God at the same time.  Not an easy task because we all believe what we are doing is the right thing, the best thing…

Obediah sees Gods people as arrogant because they think they are safe.  They have a good safe home and are even very successful!  In fact so successful that they have confidence in their past success to the point  that they cannot fail.  But they have ignored the Lord for the last time.  Their success will not prevent Him from teaching them the lesson they so desperately need.

God help me to live life in humility, always seeking what you want me to do.  Allow me to trust in you, not my own ability…I pray that I would have the strength and courage to trust You even when You are asking me to do things that don’t make sense or even seem like they will only lead to pain.  

I love you Lord and trust that You do everything for my ultimate good.  Help me walk confidently into scary and hard situation, knowing that You have it all under control and will bless me for obedience!

Amos 9- Gods Blessing

 ”In that day I will restore the fallen shelter of David: I will repair its gaps, restore its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old, I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel. They will rebuild and occupy ruined cities, plant vineyards and drink their wine, make gardens and eat their produce. I will plant them on their land, and they will never again be uprooted from the land I have given them. The Lord your God has spoken.“

‭‭Amos‬ ‭9‬:‭11‬, ‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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The chapter starts off with God telling His people that they cannot hide from Him…not in the forest, or under the ocean or even in a busy city.  God wants us to know He is always near and that we are always on His mind.  He could punish them or bless them at any time…

God see us and the wreck of our lives.  He knows every detail, the good, the bad, and the hideous.  None of it is a surprise to Him, yet we always want to hide our garbage from Him.  The beautiful thing is that, if we trust Jesus rather than ourselves, He has already dealt with any and all of the garbage we so desire to hide from Him.  How much of our lives are wasted in hiding things that don’t need to be hidden!

Then to top it all off, He actually wants to bless us!  These verses tell us that the blessing of God is better than we can imagine…He not only fixes our brokenness, blesses us with joy and celebration then gives us good work to do but He also promises to protect us and keep us in that place of blessing!!!

Lord, give me clarity to remember who you actually are! Not a God who is gleefully looking for the next person to squash. But the God who desires our good…

Amos 8- Gods Presence

 ”Hear this, you who trample on the needy and do away with the poor of the land, asking, “When will the New Moon be over so we may sell grain, and the Sabbath, so we may market wheat? We can reduce the measure while increasing the price and cheat with dishonest scales. We can buy the poor with silver and the needy for a pair of sandals and even sell the chaff!” 

Look, the days are coming — this is the declaration of the Lord God  — when I will send a famine through the land: not a famine of bread or a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.“

‭‭Amos‬ ‭8‬:‭4‬-‭6‬, ‭11‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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This heartbreaking passage is highlighting how Gods people are no longer caring for the poor and downtrodden.  They are actively looking for ways to cheat people, just so that they can get ahead.  And God is disgusted by it!  His punishment here is unique and devastating…He is going to stop talking to them.  He stops speaking to prophets.

This is the ultimate cold shoulder…this actually happens to Israel right before Jusus comes for 400 years, no prophets, no visions, no words from God.  They reject living the way God instructs them hundreds of times through the centuries and this is the final straw.  He finally gets their attention…everyone is listening, waiting, watching, hoping…then He sends Jesus…what a gracious gift, God himself comes in person to remind them of the incredible peace of knowing and having relationship with God!

Lord, help me be sensitive to You and how You speak to me in prayer and especially through Your Word!  I have hated the times You seemed distant, give me the strength to continually draw near.  Help me pay attention and surrender to You, let me experience the joy of Your presence every day!

Amos 7- Gods Calling

 ”So Amos answered Amaziah, “I was not a prophet or the son of a prophet; rather, I was a herdsman, and I took care of sycamore figs. But the Lord took me from following the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’”“

‭‭Amos‬ ‭7‬:‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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We finally learn some details about who Amos is as people are getting frustrated with what he is telling them. What stands out to me is that he was faithfully doing his job (shepherd and farmer) when God asked him to do some thing else.  He wasn’t angling for a different job or efforting toward it…but God sought him out and gave him a new responsibility…a crappy responsibility for sure, but he was confident in his calling.

I have never been able to understand how to do this well.  I still don’t know what this should look like in my own life…most of the changes in my life were to some degree, worked toward.  I put effort toward making something happen.  I wanted something and decided to put all my effort into making it happen…and it usually did…bet rarely turned out the way I had planned…often times it was worse than expected or a complete disaster!

Lord, I don’t know where the line is for what You want me to do vs what I want me to do.  Please align my will with Yours, line up my desires with Yours, shape me into who You want me to be.  God pluck me out of faithfully doing the work you have given me and assign me a task for Your glory.  Let it be fully Your hand, Your guidance, Your will…and give me patience in the meantime!

Amos 6- Prides Fall

 ”The Lord God has sworn by himself  — this is the declaration of the Lord, the God of Armies: I loathe Jacob’s pride and hate his citadels, so I will hand over the city and everything in it. 

…you who rejoice over Lo-debar and say, “Didn’t we capture Karnaim for ourselves by our own strength?”“

‭‭Amos‬ ‭6‬:‭8‬, ‭13‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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This passage starts by describing all the ways that Gods people are living in luxury: comfy beds, good food, drinking, music and even spa days (vs 4-6)…but they don’t care about others.  Their selflessness has turned to pride…only thinking about what is best for themselves.  God then very emphatically declares, using the strongest language possible, He HATES their pride…and the things that make them proud.  He loathes that they take credit for all their own victories and imagine He has done nothing to help them.

Interestingly, God does not hate His people, just what has turned them away from Him.  He still loves them and wants them to live in freedom and joy.  What would this look like in my life?  How would I behave today if I was thinking like them?

Lord God, you have blessed me in incredible ways and only through your strength have I had any victories.  Thank you for opening my eyes to pride and graciously crushing my idols to draw me close to You!  It was painful, but worth it!!! Help me never forget and fall back into thinking so highly of myself that others are an afterthought…

Amos 5- Good vs Evil

 ”For the Lord says to the house of Israel: Seek me and live! 

The one who made the Pleiades and Orion, who turns darkness into dawn and darkens day into night, who summons the water of the sea and pours it out over the surface of the earth  — the Lord is his name. 

Pursue good and not evil so that you may live, and the Lord, the God of Armies, will be with you as you have claimed. 

Hate evil and love good; establish justice at the city gate. Perhaps the Lord, the God of Armies, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. But let justice flow like water, and righteousness, like an unfailing stream.“

‭‭Amos‬ ‭5‬:‭4‬, ‭8‬, ‭14‬-‭15‬, ‭24‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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Good vs evil…it is a repeated theme as God is highlighting what is not going right for His people.  This chapter emphasizes the destruction that they deserve, but follows each statement with reminders of who God is, and very clearly lays out what He desires from us.

It is surprising that they needed the simple reminder to flee from evil and chase after that is good!  That seems like it should be a no brainer!  But when I reflect on my own choices I find that there is often a mixture of good and evil, even if only in my motivations.  Sometimes I want something for the simple reason that it makes me feel good even if it is worse for someone else, or it is the opposite of what God wants me to do.

Lord, You have blessed me in so many ways, You have loved me through foolish decisions and You have SAVED ME!  Help me to live every aspect of my life prayerfully seeking you and what you want from me.  Help me to see where I am being selfish and strengthen me to choose good over evil…even when it seems less enjoyable.  Give me your eternal joy in my obedience to you in every part of life and thought!

Amos 4- Wants to be Known

 ”He is here: the one who forms the mountains, creates the wind, and reveals his thoughts to man, the one who makes the dawn out of darkness and strides on the heights of the earth. The Lord, the God of Armies, is his name.“

‭‭Amos‬ ‭4‬:‭13‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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God continues to list out the ways He has attempted to get the attention of His people in ch4.  But, at the end He describes Himself…He tells about what he has made, His power to change and create…but then most astonishingly He says He wants us to know His thoughts!

That may seem insignificant to us as we know that is how to make friends and enjoy one another.  Telling others what we think is natural in close relationships…The reason this is mind blowing to me is that it would be similar to me making a fleet of paper airplanes, then gathering them together to tell them what I think.  That is the vast difference between us and God.  Yet that is exactly what He does!

Lord, you put so much effort into helping me understand who you are, and often I take it for granted.  I don’t realize how incredibly precious we are to you.  Help me to value Your Word and our time together in prayer as much as You do!  Let it be the most important part of my day!!!

Amos 3- Knowing God

 ”I have known only you out of all the clans of the earth; therefore, I will punish you for all your iniquities. If a ram’s horn is blown in a city, aren’t people afraid? If a disaster occurs in a city, hasn’t the Lord done it?“

‭‭Amos‬ ‭3‬:‭2‬, ‭6‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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Prior to Jesus sacrifice of dying on the cross in our place, the agreement that God had with His people was that if they lived according to His ways they would be blessed, or else they would suffer punishment.  They had to live with the consequences of their actions.  God would use disaster and even Israel’s enemy’s to punish them.

I find this an interesting statement from God: “I have known only you”… This is a statement of intimacy, a declaration of intentionality to draw near to Israel, an unworthy group of people.  Although God only holds our punishment against us now if we have NOT trusted Jesus, he does still seek to know us individually.  He desires relationship with me personally…that blows me away…the God who created everything, controls all things and yet still has time to want to know me intimately.

Lord, help me to remember this really is who You are. Remind me that knowing You is the most joyous task on my list every day.  Since that is true, help me to live as if it were true and the most important thing.

Amos 2- Foolishness of Pride

 ”The Lord says: I will not relent from punishing Judah for three crimes, even four, because they have rejected the instruction of the Lord and have not kept his statutes. The lies that their ancestors followed have led them astray. Therefore, I will send fire against Judah, and it will consume the citadels of Jerusalem.“

‭‭Amos‬ ‭2‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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After condemning all of Israel’s neighbors, God turns his sights on His own people.  Frustrated and angry that they have turned away from the most important thing He has called them to be about: no longer are they trusting in God to protect them, but rather trusting in their own strengths and abilities.

His people were expecting their citadel to protect them and God reminds them that it is weak in comparison to His power…and He is willing to prove it to get their attention.  I have needed this same treatment to refocus my attention and remind me that God is ultimately the one I should trust, no one or no thing else.

Lord, I need you to keep my mind and heart focused on you, not my strengths or skills.  You have blessed me in many ways, so it is easy to fall back into trusting myself…which is PRIDE in the extreme!  I need You Lord, every hour I need you!!!

Amos 1- Gods Protection

 ”He said: The Lord roars from Zion and makes his voice heard from Jerusalem; the pastures of the shepherds mourn, and the summit of Carmel withers. The Lord says: I will not relent from punishing Damascus for three crimes, even four, because they threshed Gilead with iron sledges.“

‭‭Amos‬ ‭1‬:‭2‬-‭3‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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This chapter demonstrates Gods intense love and care for His people, Israel. He lists out the nations around them who have devastated them or abused their people…God is not letting those bullies off the hook.  God will protect Israel and unleash furry on their enemies.

This is the unfailing love of a father or big brother to protect their family…sometimes I forget about Gods protection.  I get distracted to think only about how He wants me to think or act.  I get so caught up in attempting to do good on my own that I forget that God is for me.  That God is on my side, rooting for me.  That God is actively fighting against my enemies (my freshly desires, the worlds influence and the forces of Satan).

God help me to remember all of who You are.  Help me to recall the fighting you do for me and the great love you have for me.  Remind me that you are for me, and desire my protection. Help me to live in light of your Faithfulness!

Joel 3- Perfect Timing

 ”Yes, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, In that day the mountains will drip with sweet wine, and the hills will flow with milk. All the streams of Judah will flow with water, and a spring will issue from the Lord’s house, watering the Valley of Acacias.“

‭‭Joel‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬, ‭18‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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God it telling His people that at a specific time, He will accomplish all that is prophesied, both the punishment and the blessing.  It will not happen until the timing is perfect…

If I am honest, Gods timing rarely lines up with mine…When He does things quickly, I wish He would have waited longer…When He is working slowly, I beg for Him to move faster!  I often wonder if He is doing anything at all!  However, when I look back and have some perspective, I see that EVERY TIME: His timing is perfect!!!

Lord, help me to trust Your timeline…give me eyes to see how You are working and faith to trust You when I can’t see it.  You are always faithful.  You are always good.  You are always working things for my growth and blessing.  Help me to trust Your timing and rest in knowing You have perfect timing!

Joel.2-Repentance and Blessing

 ”Even now — this is the Lord’s declaration — turn to me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Tear your hearts, not just your clothes, and return to the Lord your God. For he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in faithful love, and he relents from sending disaster. Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave a blessing behind him, so you can offer a grain offering and a drink offering to the Lord your God. 

I will repay you for the years that the swarming locust ate, the young locust, the destroying locust, and the devouring locust — my great army that I sent against you. You will have plenty to eat and be satisfied. You will praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. My people will never again be put to shame. You will know that I am present in Israel and that I am the Lord your God, and there is no other. My people will never again be put to shame.“

‭‭Joel‬ ‭2‬:‭12‬-‭14‬, ‭25‬-‭27‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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The description of total destruction continues with a terrifying image of a shadowy army decimating everything in its path…then suddenly the narrative is interrupted by good news: “turn to the Lord with your whole being”!  Don’t make a show of it on the outside, but really make the changes on the inside.  That is what the Lord wants!

Joel goes on to say that if we repent, God will bless us by restoring all the things we had lost in our rebellion. He will make Himself known to us and we will live in satisfaction.

Lord, You know my heart…You know that when I was attempting to chase after what seemed right to me, it never led to satisfaction…always to needing more.  Now, You have changed my heart, changed my desires, and brought me peace.  You are near and guide me and continue to bless me in so many ways.  Thank You!

Joel 1- Monumental Moments

 ”Hear this, you elders; listen, all you inhabitants of the land. Has anything like this ever happened in your days or in the days of your ancestors? Tell your children about it, and let your children tell their children, and their children the next generation. What the devouring locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten; what the swarming locust has left, the young locust has eaten; and what the young locust has left, the destroying locust has eaten.“

‭‭Joel‬ ‭1‬:‭2‬-‭4‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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I thought Hosea was bad…Joel starts off with utter destruction of everything good.  Not like Job where he loses all he has, this destruction is of all there is and even the future potential for anything life giving.

God tells Joel to pass on this horrible message that will have lasting impact…so devastating that your great, great grandchildren will talk about it.  It will shape 5 generations (or more) of Israelites (technically more than that because we are talking about it today!).

I want my great, great grandkids to hear about things in my lifetime, but I want them to be positive and lovely.  Lord, help me to follow you so closely that people generations later will hear stories about the awesome work You have done.  I don’t need anyone to remember me, but let me participate in your incredible transformation of our family, our church, our city, our state, country and world!

Hosea 14- Reality Accepted

 ”Israel, return to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled in your iniquity. Take words of repentance with you and return to the Lord. Say to him, “Forgive all our iniquity and accept what is good, so that we may repay you with praise from our lips. Assyria will not save us, we will not ride on horses, and we will no longer proclaim, ‘Our gods! ’ to the work of our hands. For the fatherless receives compassion in you.”“

‭‭Hosea‬ ‭14‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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This is a beautiful scene…the reality of Israel finally sinks in.  They see God for who He is, and accept the reality that He is the only one they can trust.  They cannot trust in their own abilities, they can’t trust in other people around them, they can’t trust that things will “just work out”, they can’t trust in going the way that seems best to them…all of these lead to destruction.  It may not be instant, but it is guaranteed.

Accepting the reality of where you actually are is a huge turning point.  Let’s all stop the pretending and open our eyes to see what is really around us and what got us to this point.

Lord help me take off my rose colored glasses and see things from Your perspective.  Help me to see the futility of my efforts and plans, and allow me to see clearly the path You have for me.  I need You to do this for me because no matter how hard I try, I don’t t see it. My way is lit up like a 6 lane highway, and Your way is a peaceful trail through the woods near a calming stream…and that is the reality I desire!

Hosea 13- I Need You

 ”I have been the Lord your God ever since the land of Egypt; you know no God but me, and no Savior exists besides me. 

I fed you in the wilderness, in the land of drought. When they had pasture, they became satisfied; they were satisfied, and their hearts became proud. Therefore they forgot me. 

So I will be like a lion to them; I will lurk like a leopard on the path.“

‭‭Hosea‬ ‭13‬:‭4‬-‭7‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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God reminds Israel of His past Faithfulness… and immediately follows up with a description of how it resulted in them becoming proud, fat and happy…then forgetting all about God.

What is interesting in this passage is that God desires to bless them, but in the end it leads to the one thing He HATES- pride and lost relationship.  God also knows that disaster and suffering force all of us to see things most clearly: we don’t have control, we don’t possess the ability to fix/remove trouble, we actually NEED God, He is the only one who can save us from trouble.

Remarkably, the choice is ours: stay close to Him in good times and bad, or run from Him, depend on ourselves in pride, and enter hard times apart from God (maybe even caused by Him).  What is crazy, is that we naturally tend toward the latter…the most painful path.  I have often believed that my plan was good, without even consulting God.  These times always lead to pain and suffering.i

God, I need You…every hour I need You!  Every second, every moment I need YOU!  Anything good, kind, gentle, loving or thoughtful that comes from me, has been produced in you.  Help me to see when I am depending on me, and run to you for forgiveness!

Hosea 12- False Confidence

 ”The Lord is the God of Armies; the Lord is his name. But you must return to your God. Maintain love and justice, and always put your hope in God. But Ephraim thinks, “How rich I have become; I made it all myself. In all my earnings, no one can find any iniquity in me that I can be punished for!”“

‭‭Hosea‬ ‭12‬:‭5‬-‭6‬, ‭8‬ ‭CSB‬‬

Read Context

Ephraim has extreme confidence in himself and that he is doing everything right.  But his confidence comes from looking at the results of his effort.  Things are going well for him so he believes that he is doing everything right. He is trusting in himself!

God has just pointed out that He (God) is the most powerful being and has all authority over everything…and our primary responsibility is to trust God only.  In the midst of trusting God, we should love others and act justly.

These statements are intensely contradictory…but Ephraim is blind to it.  It seems so obvious, blatantly clear and yet he is more confident in the success “he” has created.  What a dangerous place to live…

God, I know I have this same tendency…I have idolized success and accomplishment which has brought me nothing but pain, regret and suffering.  Please keep my blinders off, help me to recognize when I move into that mentality. Help me to instantly run to you and repent.  I am done with false confidence…I want to rest in and be confident in you, the God of Armies.

Hosea 11- Our Loving Father

 ”It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the hand, but they never knew that I healed them. I led them with human cords, with ropes of love. To them I was like one who eases the yoke from their jaws; I bent down to give them food.“

‭‭Hosea‬ ‭11‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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What a tender description of how God has cared for His people.  It is just like an adoring father or mother lovingly raising their toddler.  This is not often the picture of God that is painted on the Old Testament, but much more like how Jesus helps us see Him.

What a blessing to have God as our loving, compassionate, caring and patient Father.  It’s a blessing because, I need that.  I need His patience far more often than I should as I find myself distracted from His path.  I need His care when I finally look up and realize that I am broken and need compassion.  I need His love at every moment, but it is especially necessary when I need forgiveness.

Lord, help me to know you  more as a loving Father.  Help me to comprehend your love especially when I am running to you for forgiveness.  Help me, like a child, to turn to you first in every situation.

Hosea 10- Worship of Gods Blessing

 ”Israel is a lush vine; it yields fruit for itself. The more his fruit increased, the more he increased the altars. The better his land produced, the better they made the sacred pillars…” 

“Sow righteousness for yourselves and reap faithful love; break up your unplowed ground. It is time to seek the Lord until he comes and sends righteousness on you like the rain. You have plowed wickedness and reaped injustice; you have eaten the fruit of lies. Because you have trusted in your own way and in your large number of soldiers,“

‭‭Hosea‬ ‭10‬:‭1‬, ‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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Israel is accused of following their own way once again, which resulted in producing more sin and injustice.  When they received blessing, rather than make them thankful to the one who blessed them, it made them chase harder after their sin or more accurately, it made them worship the blessing.

I know I have done this same thing in the past.  When the lord blessed me with success, suddenly all I wanted was more success.  I was so drawn to success that I was willing to sin to get more success.  That is a pretty good definition of an idol right there…willing to sacrifice what you know is right to get what you want.

Lord, help me to continue to pursue the antidote: seek You and do the work you have called me to do.  God, give me a confidence in the work You are doing, and leave the results in Your capable hands.  Allow me to live every moment in your presence so that I may know you more.

Hosea 9- Sin’s Darkness, Gospel Light

 ”They have deeply corrupted themselves as in the days of Gibeah. He will remember their iniquity; he will punish their sins. My God will reject them because they have not listened to him; they will become wanderers among the nations.“

‭‭Hosea‬ ‭9‬:‭9‬, ‭17‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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I hate to ruin the punchline, but this passage is such a stark contrast to the Gospel. Hosea’s message is intended to shock Israel from the path they are on, to get them to come to their senses and return to God! The Good News of God is these terrible consequences are immediately reversed when they begin to seek Him.

Even more exciting is the opportunity we have to seek God through Jesus!  Jesus has paid the penalty for all of our sin; past, present and even future. Not only does He take on the responsibility of our sin, but God begins changing us into people who LOVE to seek Him…who want to obey, who are blessed to spend time with His people, who are energized when they are self sacrificing, who experience peace even in stressful times and are filled with joy in hard times.

Lord I am so thankful that because of Jesus, I am not like the Israelites in this passage!  I could not stand to be rejected by you or have to take on the punishment my sin deserves…I would be crushed.  What a joy to know that you made a way for me, help me to know you more and live confidently in your peace.

Hosea 8- Identity

 ”Though I were to write out for him ten thousand points of my instruction, they would be regarded as something strange.“

‭‭Hosea‬ ‭8‬:‭12‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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This chapter is hard to read because Israel is continuing in their own way and looking for new ways to reject God.  But this verse to me is the pinnacle: even if God were to write out a step-by-step instruction manual for how to know Him, their response would be “what language is this written in?”  They are so far from Him that they have no clue who He is, or what He desires for them.

How devastating for Israel!  They are literally a people who are defined by knowing God and following His instructions.  This is the only thing that sets them apart, it is their identity…

Lord, help me to never forget who you are.  My only valuable identity is as your child, as one who seeks to know you more.  I want to know and love your instruction!  But God, I need your protection so that I don’t forget, so that I don’t get distracted, so that I don’t hold any identity as more valuable than child of God.

Hosea 7- Arrogance of Self Dependance

 ”Israel’s arrogance testifies against them, yet they do not return to the Lord their God, and for all this, they do not seek him.“

‭‭Hosea‬ ‭7‬:‭10‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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This chapter is full of heartache and continued suffering because Israel is not learning the lesson.  God has caused much discipline and inflicted punishment, yet still they are turning to others to help them.  God diagnoses their problem as arrogance…thinking so highly of themselves that they don’t need Him.

I have spent too much of my life thinking like them…I have looked at all the ways God has blessed me and WRONGLY believed that He equipped me to handle whatever was coming my way.  I even gave Him credit for the strength He gave…then tried to fix it on my own.  I looked for every possible solution, but didn’t turn to Him for help! What a fool I have been…

Lord, thank you for removing my blinders! Thank you for loving me enough to allow suffering and discipline.  Even though I hated the process, what it has yielded has been incredible.  Help me to stay dependent on You, help me to always seek You in EVERYTHING, little or life changing, I need you!

Hosea 6- Gods Faithfulness

 ”Come, let’s return to the Lord. For he has torn us, and he will heal us; he has wounded us, and he will bind up our wounds. He will revive us after two days, and on the third day he will raise us up so we can live in his presence. Let’s strive to know the Lord. His appearance is as sure as the dawn. He will come to us like the rain, like the spring showers that water the land.“

‭‭Hosea‬ ‭6‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭CSB‬‬

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I love how this follows yesterday’s dark passage! These words leave no question that God intends to heal, restore and love us.  He faithfully shows up, just like the sunrise!  He brings new blessing and fresh sustenance to us as if we were a thirsty crop that is receiving rain.

What blows me away is that every action in this passage, after we return to the Lord, is something He does!  He is not asking me to heal myself before He can love me.  He is not requiring that I somehow stitch up my gaping wounds. He is not expecting me to drag myself out of depression or exhaustion. He is doing all of that! His only instruction is to return to Him and get to know Him.

Lord, help me remember that knowing you is the one thing you are asking me to do!  Show me when I am attempting to clean myself up and do the things that only you can do.  You are faithful in every way, help me to trust in you, rather than myself, because I fail every day.

Hosea 5- Consequences

 ”They go with their flocks and herds to seek the Lord but do not find him; he has withdrawn from them. …

For I am like a lion to Ephraim and like a young lion to the house of Judah. Yes, I will tear them to pieces and depart. I will carry them off, and no one can rescue them. I will depart and return to my place until they recognize their guilt and seek my face; they will search for me in their distress.“

‭‭Hosea‬ ‭5‬:‭6‬, ‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭CSB‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/1713/hos.5.CSB

This is a hard passage to read because Israel is living “according to what is right in their own eyes”.  In other words, rejecting Gods way, and doing whatever they want.  Even in how they try to worship, they reject Gods clear instruction and try their own way…it doesn’t work.

Then the surprising part, God is the one to inflict suffering as a consequence of their own choices.  I want to feel like this is unloving or unfair!  But, He finally reveals His end game: He is giving them consequences so that they will wake up and return to the blessings of knowing Him.

Lord, help me to wake up without needing to experience pain and suffering…

Help me to seek you and experience joy, peace, comfort, love and acceptance.  Show me where I am going my own way, before it leads to destruction.  I need your help because ‘my way’ always seems right, so give me wisdom and counselors to point me in the right direction.  I need you Lord!

Hosea 4- Following Him

 ”They sacrifice on the mountaintops, and they burn offerings on the hills, and under oaks, poplars, and terebinths, because their shade is pleasant...“

‭‭Hosea‬ ‭4‬:‭13‬ ‭CSB‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/1713/hos.4.CSB

I love the beauty of nature, the peace and sense of smallness.  This entire passage is about doing what feels good, what feeds our desires and is short term delightful.  Those are the things I naturally want to do because it’s easy, and gives me a quick sense of happiness.  God what you know is the end result of this short term pleasure seeking is destruction.

Thank you for the warnings, I know you want joy, peace and delight to be my experience. I also know that only comes long term from knowing You!  God, give me the wisdom to follow you and reject the fleeting pleasures of sin.  Make my delight be in knowing You more.  May this be obvious to the people closest to me so that they can follow you and experience your peace, joy and comfort even in the middle of challenging circumstances!

Hosea 3- Awe Inspiring

 ”Afterward, the people of Israel will return and seek the Lord their God and David their king. They will come with awe to the Lord and to his goodness in the last days.“

‭‭Hosea‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬ ‭CSB‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/1713/hos.3.5.CSB

We are so blessed to be loved by God.  I don’t deserve His love, in fact I deserve His wrath!  Yet the picture painted here in Hosea is undeniable…even as we chase after the very things that God HATES, He is still ready to pay more to get us back. To show us love and compassion.  Full of mercy, He draws near to us and tenderly cares for our needs…

God I am so grateful that is who you are, but please help me to stay in awe of you without having to go through times of fleeing.  Give me clarity to see who you are today, remove my blinders of selfishness.  I want to live every day in awe of You and your goodness!

Hosea 2- God Restores

”Therefore, I am going to persuade her, lead her to the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her. There I will give her vineyards back to her and make the Valley of Achor into a gateway of hope. There she will respond as she did in the days of her youth, as in the day she came out of the land of Egypt. In that day — this is the Lord’s declaration — you will call me “my husband” and no longer call me “my Baal.” For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth; they will no longer be remembered by their names.“

‭‭Hosea‬ ‭2‬:‭14‬-‭17‬ ‭CSB‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/1713/hos.2.14-17.CSB

This passage is incredible because God has just described Israel as having rejected His blessings and chased after all the filthy lust and foolish living they craved.  He shows them the reality of their situation, and then brings them back into a place of peace and tenderly reminds them of who He is.  There is no manipulation, just clear eyed truth laid out plainly.  How gentle! How caring! How compassionate! How not like me…

The last verse of this section is the most hopeful, God does the work of removing the stain of their past.  He takes away the desire for sin, He removes the memory of desire and restores us to Himself!  Who does that!?!  Only God can find us wallowing in the filth of sin and tenderly brings us back to clean us up and bless us.

What a God we serve!  Lord may I have clarity to see where I am wallowing in sin, and quickly follow you into the peacefulness of nature to hear your voice and be cleansed and restored!  Lord may you transform my life so that those around me wallowing in filth, recognize you in me and desire to know you more and live in peace!

Hosea 1- Not by Cunning

”But I will have compassion on the house of Judah, and I will deliver them by the Lord their God. I will not deliver them by bow, sword, or war, or by horses and cavalry.“

‭‭Hosea‬ ‭1‬:‭7‬ ‭CSB‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/1713/hos.1.7.CSB

What really stood out to me was how God acts to save his people: by His strength, by His power, by his own way.  It is not through “normal” means or methods.  It is not by Judah’s strengths or abilities or even intelligent strategies…but by His own hand.

God has blessed me with a strong intellect, creativity and persistence…but they have been a curse for me!  It is so easy to depend on those gifts rather than God…

Lord, help me to rely on You ALONE!  Help me to see when I am trusting in my own strength.  Make it be a flashing neon sign so that I can recognize it, repent and run to you.  God, what a blessing to rest in your care!  Allow your peace to flow through my life and  impact all of those around me for Your kingdom.