Entries by tag: hosea
Today's Scripture reading: Hosea 10-12; Psalm 73; Hebrews 4
S: Scripture: Choose one thing that stood out.
O: Observation: What does it say (context, audience, meaning, etc.)?
A: Application: What principles apply to me? How should my life be different moving forward?
P: Prayer: Speak to God about what He showed you
S:
Hosea 12:7b (NLT) "and always live in confident dependence on your God."; Hebrews 4:14-16 (NLT) "That is why we have a great High Priest who has gone to heaven, Jesus the Son of God. Let us cling to him and never stop trusting him. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same temptations we do, yet did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it." (emphasis mine)
O:
God uses the prophet Hosea to not only speak God's judgment to Israel, but also to speak God's compassion, desire, and the opportunity to turn to God. The author of Hebrews also exhorts us to depend on God. He also gives us a few reasons: 1)because God understands, 2)because God offers mercy, 3)because God offers grace.
A:
I love the idea of "confident dependence." That sounds very counter-cultural and maybe even counter-intuitive. Our world pushes us towards confident INdependence. To confidently depend on anyone else is to set myself up for heartache, disappointment and betrayal. With humanity, this is true, but God is different. He tells me I can always live in confident dependence on Him.
This Hebrews passage is rich and full of deep truth to explore, but what struck me today was a similar exhortation to the one I read in Hosea, "Let us cling to him and never stop trusting him." There's desperate dependence in that statement, as well as confidence. The reasons for confident dependence on Christ are like a cup of cold water to my soul. 1) God knows what I'm going through; He's been there; He knows the temptations to take shortcuts, to be selfish, to please others, and on and on. He can relate to my pain and my struggles. That makes me want to trust him. But more than that, 2) he can provide me with some real relief. He gives me mercy when I trust him. (He doesn't punish me like I deserve.) 3) He gives me grace. (He gives me love and forgiveness that I don't deserve.) How could I not cling to, trust, and live in confident dependence on someone like that?
P:
Lord, thank you for your invitation to trust you. Thank you for helping me to see why I should trust you. Please give me the strength, by your Spirit, to live a life of trusting you today. Amen.
S: Scripture: Choose one thing that stood out.
O: Observation: What does it say (context, audience, meaning, etc.)?
A: Application: What principles apply to me? How should my life be different moving forward?
P: Prayer: Speak to God about what He showed you
S:
Hosea 12:7b (NLT) "and always live in confident dependence on your God."; Hebrews 4:14-16 (NLT) "That is why we have a great High Priest who has gone to heaven, Jesus the Son of God. Let us cling to him and never stop trusting him. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same temptations we do, yet did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it." (emphasis mine)
O:
God uses the prophet Hosea to not only speak God's judgment to Israel, but also to speak God's compassion, desire, and the opportunity to turn to God. The author of Hebrews also exhorts us to depend on God. He also gives us a few reasons: 1)because God understands, 2)because God offers mercy, 3)because God offers grace.
A:
I love the idea of "confident dependence." That sounds very counter-cultural and maybe even counter-intuitive. Our world pushes us towards confident INdependence. To confidently depend on anyone else is to set myself up for heartache, disappointment and betrayal. With humanity, this is true, but God is different. He tells me I can always live in confident dependence on Him.
This Hebrews passage is rich and full of deep truth to explore, but what struck me today was a similar exhortation to the one I read in Hosea, "Let us cling to him and never stop trusting him." There's desperate dependence in that statement, as well as confidence. The reasons for confident dependence on Christ are like a cup of cold water to my soul. 1) God knows what I'm going through; He's been there; He knows the temptations to take shortcuts, to be selfish, to please others, and on and on. He can relate to my pain and my struggles. That makes me want to trust him. But more than that, 2) he can provide me with some real relief. He gives me mercy when I trust him. (He doesn't punish me like I deserve.) 3) He gives me grace. (He gives me love and forgiveness that I don't deserve.) How could I not cling to, trust, and live in confident dependence on someone like that?
P:
Lord, thank you for your invitation to trust you. Thank you for helping me to see why I should trust you. Please give me the strength, by your Spirit, to live a life of trusting you today. Amen.
- Current Mood:
jubilant
For Today's Bible reading, click the link.
S: Scripture: Choose one thing that stood out.
O: Observation: What does it say (context, audience, meaning, etc.)?
A: Application: What principles apply to me? How should my life be different moving forward?
P: Prayer: Speak to God about what He showed you.
Today's Scripture reading: Hosea 6-9; Hebrews 3
S: Scripture: Choose one thing that stood out.
O: Observation: What does it say (context, audience, meaning, etc.)?
A: Application: What principles apply to me? How should my life be different moving forward?
P: Prayer: Speak to God about what He showed you
S: Hosea 7:15 (NLT), I trained them and made them strong, yet now they plot evil against me. (See also Hosea 11:3,4)
O:
God chose and raised up his people. He gave them the Law. He gave them the prophets. He gave them all they needed to be able to obey God and walk with him, yet the people rebelled. They not only rejected his instruction, but they actively worked against his purposes.
A:
I can't help but think of the prodigal son, of the godly parents I know who raise their kids "right," but the kids walk away from what they've been taught. They walk away from God. I am always tempted to think, "what did those parents do to push their kid away from God?" This passage shows me that it's not always the parent's fault. The child makes choices and must face his or her own consequences. It's not much consolation as a parent, but knowing that God's own kids rebelled & walked away from his ways, takes the pressure off. We do what we can and we pray hard. We pray for God's mercy and grace, not only for us, but also for our children who one day will choose God or choose against him.
P:
Lord, I confess my unfair judgment of parents of wayward adult kids. Please forgive me. I pray for those parents and for myself that we will not bear undue burden for our children. I pray we can entrust our children to you. I pray that my own children will choose to walk with you by the power of your Spirit within them. Lord please stand in the gap between my feeble efforts to train my kids in the way that they should go and what they need to be able to walk with you all the days of their lives. Amen.
S: Scripture: Choose one thing that stood out.
O: Observation: What does it say (context, audience, meaning, etc.)?
A: Application: What principles apply to me? How should my life be different moving forward?
P: Prayer: Speak to God about what He showed you
S: Hosea 7:15 (NLT), I trained them and made them strong, yet now they plot evil against me. (See also Hosea 11:3,4)
O:
God chose and raised up his people. He gave them the Law. He gave them the prophets. He gave them all they needed to be able to obey God and walk with him, yet the people rebelled. They not only rejected his instruction, but they actively worked against his purposes.
A:
I can't help but think of the prodigal son, of the godly parents I know who raise their kids "right," but the kids walk away from what they've been taught. They walk away from God. I am always tempted to think, "what did those parents do to push their kid away from God?" This passage shows me that it's not always the parent's fault. The child makes choices and must face his or her own consequences. It's not much consolation as a parent, but knowing that God's own kids rebelled & walked away from his ways, takes the pressure off. We do what we can and we pray hard. We pray for God's mercy and grace, not only for us, but also for our children who one day will choose God or choose against him.
P:
Lord, I confess my unfair judgment of parents of wayward adult kids. Please forgive me. I pray for those parents and for myself that we will not bear undue burden for our children. I pray we can entrust our children to you. I pray that my own children will choose to walk with you by the power of your Spirit within them. Lord please stand in the gap between my feeble efforts to train my kids in the way that they should go and what they need to be able to walk with you all the days of their lives. Amen.
For Today's Bible reading, click the link.
S: Scripture: Choose one thing that stood out.
O: Observation: What does it say (context, audience, meaning, etc.)?
A: Application: What principles apply to me? How should my life be different moving forward?
P: Prayer: Speak to God about what He showed you.
Today's Scripture reading: 2 Kings 15,16; Hosea 1-5: Hebrews 1,2
S: Scripture: Choose one thing that stood out.
O: Observation: What does it say (context, audience, meaning, etc.)?
A: Application: What principles apply to me? How should my life be different moving forward?
P: Prayer: Speak to God about what He showed you.
S: Hosea 2:8 "She doesn't realize that it was I who gave her everything she has - the grain, the wine, the olive oil. Even the gold and silver she used in worshiping the god Baal were gifts from me!
O: God is telling Israel that he will thwart all their plans to run from him so that they will decide to turn back to Him. He points out that he not only provide every good thing for life, but He provides EVERYTHING, even the things his people use to do evil against him.
A: I had never thought of God's provision in that light before. I know he gives every good gift (James 1:17), but I never thought about him also giving me the "means" to sin against him too! When I squander my money, my time, my thought life, my body - anything I have control over - I am squandering something God provided. I use God's gifts against him; how shameful. I want to learn to sanctify, to set apart, everything in my life for his purposes (Romans 6). Still, this too is a picture of God's amazing grace. Would I keep giving gifts and opportunities to anyone I know will waste them or worse, use them against me? No way! That is what God does for me.
P: Lord, I don't want to use your gifts to sin against you. Help me to set apart everything for your purposes, for your kingdom, and for your glory. Thank you for not withholding your gracious, giving hand because of my selfishness and sin. Make me holy as you are holy, by the power of your Spirit, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. Amen.
S: Scripture: Choose one thing that stood out.
O: Observation: What does it say (context, audience, meaning, etc.)?
A: Application: What principles apply to me? How should my life be different moving forward?
P: Prayer: Speak to God about what He showed you.
S: Hosea 2:8 "She doesn't realize that it was I who gave her everything she has - the grain, the wine, the olive oil. Even the gold and silver she used in worshiping the god Baal were gifts from me!
O: God is telling Israel that he will thwart all their plans to run from him so that they will decide to turn back to Him. He points out that he not only provide every good thing for life, but He provides EVERYTHING, even the things his people use to do evil against him.
A: I had never thought of God's provision in that light before. I know he gives every good gift (James 1:17), but I never thought about him also giving me the "means" to sin against him too! When I squander my money, my time, my thought life, my body - anything I have control over - I am squandering something God provided. I use God's gifts against him; how shameful. I want to learn to sanctify, to set apart, everything in my life for his purposes (Romans 6). Still, this too is a picture of God's amazing grace. Would I keep giving gifts and opportunities to anyone I know will waste them or worse, use them against me? No way! That is what God does for me.
P: Lord, I don't want to use your gifts to sin against you. Help me to set apart everything for your purposes, for your kingdom, and for your glory. Thank you for not withholding your gracious, giving hand because of my selfishness and sin. Make me holy as you are holy, by the power of your Spirit, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. Amen.
For Today's Bible reading, click the link.
S: Scripture: Choose one thing that stood out.
O: Observation: What does it say (context, audience, meaning, etc.)?
A: Application: What principles apply to me? How should my life be different moving forward?
P: Prayer: Speak to God about what He showed you.
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We just recently started attending PRC regularly and one of the things that we most appreciate and resonate with is the openness and authenticity of the leadership. The fact that you posted…