(Hosea 6:1-11)
1 “Come, let’s return to the Lord.
For He has torn us, but He will heal us;
He has wounded us, but He will bandage us.
2 He will revive us after two days;
He will raise us up on the third day,
That we may live before Him.
3 So let’s learn, let’s press on to know the Lord.
His appearance is as sure as the dawn;
And He will come to us like the rain,
As the spring rain waters the earth.”
4 What shall I do with you, Ephraim?
What shall I do with you, Judah?
For your loyalty is like a morning cloud,
And like the dew which goes away early.
5 Therefore I have cut them in pieces by the prophets;
I have slain them by the words of My mouth;
And the judgments on you are like the light that shines.
6 For I desire loyalty rather than sacrifice,
And the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
7 But like Adam they have violated the covenant;
There they have dealt treacherously with Me.
8 Gilead is a city of wrongdoers,
Tracked with bloody footprints.
9 And as a band of robbers lie in wait for a person,
So a band of priests murder on the way to Shechem;
Certainly they have committed an act of infamy.
10 In the house of Israel I have seen a horrible thing;
Ephraim’s infidelity is there, Israel has defiled itself.
11 Also, Judah, there is a harvest appointed for you,
When I restore the fortunes of My people.
TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:
For He has torn us, but He will heal us;
He has wounded us, but He will bandage us.
2 He will revive us after two days;
He will raise us up on the third day,
That we may live before Him.
3 So let’s learn, let’s press on to know the Lord.
His appearance is as sure as the dawn;
And He will come to us like the rain,
As the spring rain waters the earth.”
4 What shall I do with you, Ephraim?
What shall I do with you, Judah?
For your loyalty is like a morning cloud,
And like the dew which goes away early.
5 Therefore I have cut them in pieces by the prophets;
I have slain them by the words of My mouth;
And the judgments on you are like the light that shines.
6 For I desire loyalty rather than sacrifice,
And the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
7 But like Adam they have violated the covenant;
There they have dealt treacherously with Me.
8 Gilead is a city of wrongdoers,
Tracked with bloody footprints.
9 And as a band of robbers lie in wait for a person,
So a band of priests murder on the way to Shechem;
Certainly they have committed an act of infamy.
10 In the house of Israel I have seen a horrible thing;
Ephraim’s infidelity is there, Israel has defiled itself.
11 Also, Judah, there is a harvest appointed for you,
When I restore the fortunes of My people.
TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:
God has very specific plans for Israel, which will only be fulfilled after the Tribulation, when they as a nation believe in Jesus, their Messiah. During the Millennium, the Lord will heal and guide everyone on the earth. But no matter which "age" one finds themselves living in, God wants to save us, heal and restore us, and nurture us.
God doesn't care how religious a person is, He desires our hearts and having a personal relationship with us! We cannot earn His love, because He already loves us so much that He came in flesh to suffer and die for us. And we cannot earn our way to heaven, because even our "good" deeds are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). The Lord God is holy and cannot have a relationship with sin. And only the Lord is able to forgive our sins, since He is the only One who paid the price for all sin, and was the only One who was able to pay the price.
In the Lord's salvation, we are born again into His family, to receive eternal life. And once we become a child of God, the Lord changes our hearts from the inside out, so we will desires to be more and more like our heavenly Father. We will want to strive to be more and more like Jesus, who is our perfect example... with His help! But it all starts with having a personal relationship with the Lord. Our obedience is the proof and the result of our relationship with Him.
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