Good morning all!
Father, let us always run to You Lord. You are the only strong tower, the Port in the storm. And no matter how far we may drift from the warmth of You love, let us only return to You for comfort and strength, Amen. Time to return…
Hosea 14
Hos 14:1 KJV – O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.
O My child, RETURN to the Lord your TRUE God; because you have taken a fall by your iniquity.
Hos 14:2 KJV – Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive [us] graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.
Bring with you all MY promises I’ve spoken: TURN to God; and ask for help in ALL you face because You’re grace is all we need so we will give you the sacrifice of praise.
Hos 14:3 KJV – Asshur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses: neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, [Ye are] our gods: for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy.
Asshur will NOT save us; we will NO longer ride away: we will NOT worship the idols we fashion with our hands, we will abandon it ALL just like an orphan and find YOUR mercy.
Hos 14:4 KJV – I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him.
I will HEAL your falling down, I love you with NO expectation: you will no longer see ME angry.
Bottom line
The command is really quite simple…RETURN. God is just like a father, He waits for us to walk back into the door of His house. And the reason for our departure from His home was a sin that caused us to fall, how’d that happen? Well, what was the first FALL for mankind? Eve believed the LIE, she believed if she ate the fruit she would be like God…problem with that was God already told her she was made in His image and likeness. Eve substituted God’s promise for a lie, this fruit will make me like God. What’s your fruit? What do accept in place of God’s promise for you? Why do you think after we return we’re supposed to take words with us? What words are we taking with us?
Heb 8:12 KJV – For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. When I return to the Lord I’m taking His promises with me. First one is mercy, that is what we should expect from God when we return NOT a beating. Second, I expect that God doesn’t remember my sin anymore NOT rub my face in them. When we live a life of faith we shouldn’t remember sin, talk about sin, try and fix sin…yours and anyone else for that matter. I know that goes against a lot of our religious upbringing and perhaps our current thinking today. But what exactly is the definition of NO more? We have to see God is much bigger than all of that, we have to see His ultimate plan for us. The prayer Jesus Christ prayed was Lord that they would be ONE as we are ONE. Can we be ONE with God if we remember sin when He doesn’t? As though we know better than God? The return God is looking for is for us to be ONE with Him, when we believe the like Eve we have fallen and are no longer ONE with God. Now how do we become ONE with God?
1Jo 5:8 KJV – And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. When you and I come into agreement with God we are ONE, the SPIRIT of Christ in you and I, the WATER…God’s word…the BLOOD…His Mercy…they are ONE…they work together to fulfil God’s promises. And where do these 3 bear witness? In the EARTH. Who has given us this example? Yeah that’s right Jesus Christ on the cross, when the Roman soldier pierced the side of Jesus on the cross what poured out? BLOOD and WATER…Mercy and His word. I mean what else would pour out, Jesus lived them both until the day He died on Calvary. The prayer on the Cross was Father forgive them for they know NOT what they do…they believe a lie and NOT your mercy, your truth or your promises.
Point to Ponder
God is the only true judge so what’s the charge? Job 24:12 NIV – The groans of the dying rise from the city, and the souls of the wounded cry out for help. But God charges no one with wrongdoing. This is why He is the only righteous judge, all others will find something wrong with you.
Let us always return to God, In Him Phil
Faith – Family – Friends
