Corona Devo 3062

“O Israel, stay away from idols!  I am the one who answers your prayers and cares for you.  I am like a tree that is always green; all your fruit comes from me.” 

(9) Let those who are wise understand these things.  Let those with discernment listen carefully.  The paths of the Lord are true and right, and righteous people live by walking in them.  But in those paths sinners stumble and fall.  ~Hosea 14:8-9

Our hearts glimpse and glance at the glitter of this world and we often chase after what everyone else does.  But God has (much) more for us.

Don't we pray?  Don't we ask, and yearn, and seek?   ...But to whom?

“O Israel, stay away from idols!  I am the one who answers your prayers and cares for you.  ~Hosea 14:8

~~~

God is always in season.  

"I am like a tree that is always green..."  ~Hosea 14:8

Our Lord is always ripe and ready to love us, to lead us, to bless His children.  
Why do we wander?  
Why are we searching for love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23) elsewhere?  
"I am like a tree that is always green; all your fruit comes from me.”  ~Hosea 14:8

Our Lord is like a tree that is always green.  All of our fruit comes from Him.  We will not (never!) reap from the world the fruit that God already has hanging on His tree for us.

“O Israel, stay away from idols!  I am the one who answers your prayers and cares for you.  I am like a tree that is always green; all your fruit comes from me.”  ~Hosea 14:8

I picture the high school student trying to fit in and be accepted by a peer set and popular kids who have absolutely no regard or awareness for them or of them.  

God says to young people: “O (young people), stay away from idols!  I am the one who answers your prayers and cares for you.  I am like a tree that is always green; all your fruit comes from me.”  ~Hosea 14:8

~~~

I picture the professional in their area of expertise in the working world.  Results and outcomes are king at any cost, and too often truth and kindness are mere details swept out of progress's way.

But our obedience and action to God and His Word matter.  ...Matter more than the forced outcomes of the trends of today.  God's Word and results are timeless...and limitless.

“O (professional), stay away from idols!  I am the one who answers your prayers and cares for you.  I am like a tree that is always green; all your fruit comes from me.”  ~Hosea 14:8

~~~

I picture the weary, haggard, exhausted one, whom life and its' circumstances has beaten down to a pulp.  Giving up is not so far-fetched, and hanging-on is slipping out of grasp. 

“O (weary one), stay away from idols!  I am the one who answers your prayers and cares for you.  I am like a tree that is always green; all your fruit comes from me.”  ~Hosea 14:8

~~~

I picture you and me (us!) right now.  Right where we are at.  With our heart-and life details that only God could know, and (in His perfect timing) we receive His Words right now:

“O (our name), stay away from idols!  I am the one who answers your prayers and cares for you.  I am like a tree that is always green; all your fruit comes from me.”  

(9) Let those who are wise understand these things.  Let those with discernment listen carefully.  The paths of the Lord are true and right, and righteous people live by walking in them.  But in those paths sinners stumble and fall.  ~Hosea 14:8-9

~~~

I picture the prophet Hosea over 2,000 years ago.  His (difficult) assignment from God was to bring the Word and ways of God to the people around Him (God's people).  

I picture us being those people, because we are.  

Look no further today, friend.  We can cease our struggle and empty searches for meaning and fruit from false idols.  We serve and are heirs of the One True God.  He hears our prayers and answers them.  He cares for us.  

Our Lord is always ready and waiting for us and although we seek and search and even try to grow-it-ourselves...all our fruit comes from Him.

If we are wise...we will understand these things today.  

If we are discerning...we will listen carefully to God's Word today.

If we seek to be righteous, we will live by walking in the (true and right) paths of the Lord today.

~~~

“O Israel, stay away from idols!  I am the one who answers your prayers and cares for you.  I am like a tree that is always green; all your fruit comes from me.” 

(9) Let those who are wise understand these things.  Let those with discernment listen carefully.  The paths of the Lord are true and right, and righteous people live by walking in them.  But in those paths sinners stumble and fall.  ~Hosea 14:8-9

Blessings,

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