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

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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.