Corona Devo 3053

“Come, let us return to the Lord.  

He has torn us to pieces; now he will heal us.  

He has injured us; now he will bandage our wounds. 

(2) After two days He will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His sight.   

(3) Oh, that we might know the Lord!  Let us press on to know him.  He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring.”  

(4)  “O Israel and Judah, what should I do with you?” asks the Lord.  “For your love vanishes like the morning mist and disappears like dew in the sunlight. (5) I sent my prophets to cut you to pieces—to slaughter you with my words, with judgments as inescapable as light. 

(6) I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices.  I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings. (7) But like Adam, you broke my covenant and betrayed my trust.  ~Hosea 6:1-7

~~~

Are these surprising words and tough-tones coming from our "loving" Lord?

Does this sound unloving and harsh coming from our Heavenly Father?

Not to me. This is exactly the (tough) and truthful love that I (we) need and deserve (at times) from the Lord.  

He is holy. 

God provides the Bible (His Word) to us so that we might know His ways and standards and live them out.  

In the Old Testament, God sent prophets to His people to call-them-out about their sin and waywardness from Him.  

I sent my prophets to cut you to pieces—to slaughter you with my words, with judgments as inescapable as light.  ~Hosea 6:5

But--God's people today are just like God's people back then...we fall.  We fail.  Time after time we go our own ways and we go away from the Lord. 

Come, let us return to the Lord today (Hosea 6:1).

We have sinned against Him in so many (verbal/physical/emotional/faith-obedience) ways.  Are we honest enough to admit our spiritual shortcomings before the Lord today, and to accept our earned correction and discipline?

“O Israel and Judah, what should I do with you?” asks the Lord.   
“For your love vanishes like the morning mist and disappears like dew in the sunlight.    ~Hosea 6:4

As a parent disciplines their child /out of love/ for their child, so God disciplines His children because of His true love for us.  

God sees me...and He sees us serving ourselves, and our pleasures...instead of His: and then He sees us struggling to try and make it up to Him.  God doesn't desire that.  He just desires our love and attention and commitment to Him.

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

Because He loves us, has a good plan for us, and desires union and communion with us... in love the Lord sometimes tears us to pieces (We must wake up(!) to our sin).  

    He has torn us to pieces; now he will heal us.  ~Hosea 1:1

Out of His fatherly love for us, the Lord sometimes injures us (Will we allow the holy calling of His Word to prick our hearts and souls in a call to holy living for Him?).  

He has injured us; now he will bandage our wounds.  ~Hosea 1:1

Because of His love for us, the Lord restores us. 

...now he will heal us.... now he will bandage our wounds. (2) After two days He will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His sight.  ~Hosea 6:1-2

Let's live in His sight today, Brothers and Sisters!  The Lord loves us and forgives us and REDEEMS us.  He revives us today and our God raises us up with Him today.  Come, let us return to the Lord today (Hosea 6:1).  Amen.

Blessings,

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Corona Devo 1065

Image
It’s never too late to turn to the Lord.   And--it’s never too late to turn back to the Lord.   Do we GET IT?   King Hezekiah GOT IT.   The people in his area (Israel) had not been following the Lord, and they had fallen away from the (God-ordained) traditions that the Lord had designed to connect His people with Himself,  like going to church (Temple), and like celebrating the festival of Passover.  So they sent a proclamation throughout all Israel...inviting everyone to come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover of the  Lord , the God of Israel. The people had not been celebrating it in great numbers as required in the Law ( 2 Chronicles 30:5). Hezekiah  invited the people back to church!  But how to get the word out? He  wrote letters of invitation to the people (2 Chronicles 30:1), but letters without delivery are dead messages.  Hezekiah needed to get the letters ... to God's people! At the king’s command, runners were...
Read more

Corona Devo 1063

Image
Ever been around boys (of any age)?  They don't concern themselves with talking about   other  boys...they are not (usually) comparative that way, and would prefer to be competitive instead.  They are often contented with jokes and sounds, rather than defaming other guys or discussing their shortfalls. But...ever been around women ( of any age )?  For some sinful reason, our conversations often seem to p ick-a-little, talk-a-little, pick some more and talk, talk, talk about other women.  We  simmer into a boil as we digress and regress into unbecoming chatter about   other  women.   It's a terrible habit and yet girls in elementary school don't need to be taught how and even elderly church biddies can't quite fully withdraw.  We all still fall to condemning others  from time to time.  We have this sinful draw to make ourselves feel good by chirping back and forth and making someone   else   feel bad. It's na...
Read more

Corona Devo 1064

Image
The earth is the   Lord ’s, and everything in it.   The world and all its people belong to him.   (2)  For he laid the earth’s foundation on the seas  and built it on the ocean depths.   ~Psalm 24:1-2 We belong to Him, but also…our world belongs to Him: and  everything in it .   Everything.   Every tree and flower, every person, every pelican, everything. How are we responding to that glorious Truth today?   Can we praise Him today?  Can we acknowledge and absorb (and respond!) to the awesome Truth that we belong to Him :  the Creator of all things, and our Creator?   He laid the earth’s foundation ...and (even)  the earth  knows that it belongs to him ... Do we? Are we choosing to respond to Him today?   The trees do.    Looking out my window as I read these words of God, I saw these words  proven by God as n aked tree-branch arms were raised in praise of their Creat...
Read more