December 12, 2006 - Hosea 9-11 and Revelation 3
As we read the book of Hosea and the book of Revelation, we get the feeling that God is very angry with His people, because they are not believing Him and obeying Him. Could it be that we become even more angry with those whom we love than we do with strangers, when they do not respond to our love for them? I believe that might be the case. It hurts so much to love someone and then to have that person turn from us that we want to do something to show them our hurt. I pray that we will listen to God's heart in these passages and see if He is not hurt badly His people not responding to His love.
God found Israel like grapes in the wilderness, and He gathered them in. (9:10) However, they departed from Him. (9:12) They went after idols, and they lied to God. (10:4) It hurt God so much, that He had to punish their sin and try to draw them back. He called them to seek Him, by breaking up their hard hearts. (10:12) He reminded them that He was their Father, and He had raised them up from infancy, but now they were leaving Him for idols. (11:1, 4b, 7) They were not exalting Him or respecting Him. (11:7) God said that His heart churned within Him, because of this. (11:8b) He could not carry out all of the punishment on them, because He loved them too much. I pray that we will not break God's heart like Israel did. I pray that we will respect God and love Him back as much as we can.
Revelation 3 is along the same line as Christ sent His message to the last three churches of Asia Minor. He gave them life, but they chose death. (3:1) There were a few in Sardis who were still alive and undefiled, but most had left their love for the Lord. God loved the believers in Philadelphia enough to give them an open door for the gospel, now they had to follow Him through it. They had a little strength, but they had to hold fast to what they had or they would lose that, too. Then, the believers in Laodicea thought they had everything, because they had money and possessions, but they were destitute, because they had departed from God. The only way to save their relationship was to repent and cry out to God for the things that really matter. That describes so many believers today. We think we don't really need God, because we have everything materially. God is calling us to a love relationship with Him that is better than any material blessing.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Hosea 12-14 and Revelation 4.
God found Israel like grapes in the wilderness, and He gathered them in. (9:10) However, they departed from Him. (9:12) They went after idols, and they lied to God. (10:4) It hurt God so much, that He had to punish their sin and try to draw them back. He called them to seek Him, by breaking up their hard hearts. (10:12) He reminded them that He was their Father, and He had raised them up from infancy, but now they were leaving Him for idols. (11:1, 4b, 7) They were not exalting Him or respecting Him. (11:7) God said that His heart churned within Him, because of this. (11:8b) He could not carry out all of the punishment on them, because He loved them too much. I pray that we will not break God's heart like Israel did. I pray that we will respect God and love Him back as much as we can.
Revelation 3 is along the same line as Christ sent His message to the last three churches of Asia Minor. He gave them life, but they chose death. (3:1) There were a few in Sardis who were still alive and undefiled, but most had left their love for the Lord. God loved the believers in Philadelphia enough to give them an open door for the gospel, now they had to follow Him through it. They had a little strength, but they had to hold fast to what they had or they would lose that, too. Then, the believers in Laodicea thought they had everything, because they had money and possessions, but they were destitute, because they had departed from God. The only way to save their relationship was to repent and cry out to God for the things that really matter. That describes so many believers today. We think we don't really need God, because we have everything materially. God is calling us to a love relationship with Him that is better than any material blessing.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Hosea 12-14 and Revelation 4.