Good Morning “Those Who are Down, Those Who are Up.” Today we are in Hosea 12.
I was DOWN but now I’m UP! We all love to hear a miraculously transforming testimony. There is something about knowing that others struggle too, that inspires us all! We’ve all been down, struggled, felt like we were far from God at times… so, it’s inspiring to know he can lift us out of that.
That hope, weaves its way through each of these chapters as we read of Gods judgment upon Israel. Don’t miss that… or the many lessons learned in the struggle either. Consider Israel…
When they were wandering the desert, living in tents, God taught them to RELY on Him. When He miraculously provided for their
needs, He taught them TRUST. Then, as He brought more challenges, they began to respond demonstrating FAITH.
God continues to remind them, and by extension us, of those times - throughout Scripture. You know, all of the “remember when’s” that we read about…
Like us, when Israel got comfortable, she forgot. Israel settled into Canaan, and looked more like the unappreciative kid who was born into blessing. The Lord recognized that the spiritual condition of Israel could not be cured with more “abundance.” God was going to have to take them back to their roots. Israel once again needed to live in “tents”. If they were to undergo the same oppressive conditions, perhaps the children of Israel would again cry out to God for deliverance.
There was one exception: Israel would not wander as a nation, as in the Exodus. This time, they would be in small communities, families, and individuals. God was sending a message that Israel’s sin was not so much at the national level but rather the personal one.
God cares as much about the process of our faith as He does the product of it.
Do not despise the day of small things, those initial faithful attempts to return to God. (Zechariah 4:10) When we are humbled we look up. When we have been rebuked for our rebellion, God graciously allows us to repent and submit again to His Lordship. We learn our greatest lessons amid our most difficult hardships. And by virtue of His holiness and great love for His children, the Lord will ordain hardship so we can reach the end of ourselves, realize the futility of rebellion, and return with the remembrance of how bad sin hurts and how good restoration feels.
Love you all! Dig in and live it out!
I was DOWN but now I’m UP! We all love to hear a miraculously transforming testimony. There is something about knowing that others struggle too, that inspires us all! We’ve all been down, struggled, felt like we were far from God at times… so, it’s inspiring to know he can lift us out of that.
That hope, weaves its way through each of these chapters as we read of Gods judgment upon Israel. Don’t miss that… or the many lessons learned in the struggle either. Consider Israel…
When they were wandering the desert, living in tents, God taught them to RELY on Him. When He miraculously provided for their
needs, He taught them TRUST. Then, as He brought more challenges, they began to respond demonstrating FAITH.
God continues to remind them, and by extension us, of those times - throughout Scripture. You know, all of the “remember when’s” that we read about…
Like us, when Israel got comfortable, she forgot. Israel settled into Canaan, and looked more like the unappreciative kid who was born into blessing. The Lord recognized that the spiritual condition of Israel could not be cured with more “abundance.” God was going to have to take them back to their roots. Israel once again needed to live in “tents”. If they were to undergo the same oppressive conditions, perhaps the children of Israel would again cry out to God for deliverance.
There was one exception: Israel would not wander as a nation, as in the Exodus. This time, they would be in small communities, families, and individuals. God was sending a message that Israel’s sin was not so much at the national level but rather the personal one.
God cares as much about the process of our faith as He does the product of it.
Do not despise the day of small things, those initial faithful attempts to return to God. (Zechariah 4:10) When we are humbled we look up. When we have been rebuked for our rebellion, God graciously allows us to repent and submit again to His Lordship. We learn our greatest lessons amid our most difficult hardships. And by virtue of His holiness and great love for His children, the Lord will ordain hardship so we can reach the end of ourselves, realize the futility of rebellion, and return with the remembrance of how bad sin hurts and how good restoration feels.
Love you all! Dig in and live it out!
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