(Hosea 12:1-14)
1 Ephraim feeds on wind,And pursues the east wind continually;
He multiplies lies and violence.
Moreover, he makes a covenant with Assyria,
And oil is brought to Egypt.
2 The Lord also has a case against Judah,
And will punish Jacob according to his ways;
He will repay him according to his deeds.
3 In the womb he took his brother by the heel,
And in his mature strength he contended with God.
4 Yes, he wrestled with the angel and prevailed;
He wept and implored His favor.
He found Him at Bethel,
And there He spoke with us,
5 And the Lord, the God of armies,
The Lord is His name.
6 So as for you, return to your God,
Maintain kindness and justice,
And wait for your God continually.
7 A merchant, in whose hands are fraudulent balances,
Loves to exploit.
8 And Ephraim said, “I have certainly become rich,
I have found wealth for myself;
In all my labors they will find in me
No wrongdoing, which would be sin.”
9 But I have been the Lord your God since the land of Egypt;
I will make you live in tents again,
As in the days of the appointed festival.
10 I have also spoken to the prophets,
And I provided many visions,
And through the prophets I spoke in parables.
11 Is there injustice in Gilead?
Certainly they are worthless.
In Gilgal they sacrifice bulls,
Yes, their altars are like stone heaps
Beside the furrows of a field.
12 Now Jacob fled to the land of Aram,
And Israel worked for a wife,
And for a wife he kept sheep.
13 But by a prophet the Lord brought Israel up from Egypt,
And by a prophet he was protected.
14 Ephraim has provoked God to bitter anger;
So his Lord will leave his guilt for bloodshed on him
And bring his disgrace back to him.
TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:
God makes Himself evident to us in so many ways, because He loves us and is patient, and because He desires that all come to know Him personally. We can see evidence of God in creation, in the Bible, through other believers, from our own consciences, and in our own experiences!
The question is - do we want to see and know Him? Have we opened our spiritual eyes and ears to seek and accept the Lord Jesus' free gift of salvation, forgiveness and eternal life? Do we keep our spiritual eyes and ears open in order to continue seeking the Lord Jesus and His will, which leads to a fulfilling life of purpose, love and blessings?
Once we humbly and sincerely accept this gift, we cannot lose it! But our faith is still not about do's and don'ts, it is all about having and embracing a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus. Then, as we grow closer and closer to the Lord, the evidence of this relationship becomes our good deeds that are done with the motive of unconditional love, done in His strength and guidance, all to His glory!. With so many blessings that come with salvation, the greatest part of this gift is having the Lord Jesus in our lives!!!
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