KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Friday, July 20, 2018
Chapters: Hosea 8-14
Message: Turn To God
Hello My Friend,
I was watching the news last night and they reported something about a cross-dresser, in a later newscast they changed it to being a transgendered woman. I bring all this up because we are now in an age where it is common to see what we as true Christians know is sin as something that is acceptable. It is as if we are no longer one nation under God, but Satan. So, how does a nation go from being one nation under God to one nation under Satan? Sin. Not one person, but a multitude of people living in sin, and people who are afraid to stand up and tell they that what they are doing is sin, and since God cannot force them, He gives them up to their sin. “For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;” – Romans 1:26-28.
Every once in a while you will see a billboard with huge letters saying, “God is not angry.” go up along a busy highway where I live. Any, faithful and true God fearing Christian will tell you that the reason that is up there is that whomever is responsible for the phrase must be trying to reassure people that it is not from God. In case they did not know, God does get angry, He is angry, and He is warning everyone that He is angry. God is the same yesterday and today, if He judged Israel, He will judge every nation. Through Hosea, God expresses His anger toward Israel for doing things their own way, instead of consulting Him in their affairs, they chose to do things in their own reasoning, including appointing kings He did not appoint and making princes out of men He did not approve of, the result, a corrupt and wicked nation full of idols and false gods.
“Set the trumpet to thy mouth. He shall come as an eagle against the house of the LORD, because they have transgressed my covenant, and trespassed against my law. Israel shall cry unto me, My God, we know thee. Israel hath cast off the thing that is good: the enemy shall pursue him. They have set up kings, but not by me: they have made princes, and I knew it not: of their silver and their gold have they made them idols, that they may be cut off. Thy calf, O Samaria, hath cast thee off; mine anger is kindled against them: how long will it be ere they attain to innocency? They sacrifice flesh for the sacrifices of mine offerings, and eat it; but the LORD accepteth them not; now will he remember their iniquity, and visit their sins: they shall return to Egypt. For Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and buildeth temples; and Judah hath multiplied fenced cities: but I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour the palaces thereof.” – Hosea 8:1-5,13-14.
“For Israel hath forgotten his Maker,” It is shocking to see how fast a nation falls, just ten years ago marriage was seen by the courts as the union of one man and one woman, now it is acceptable for two men or two women to be married. There are even saved, born again, church brought up Christians doing this, and they wonder why God is so angry? There comes a time when it cannot be said that they have no idea what they are doing is wrong and claim they are innocent. A slew of charges were drawn up against Israel, idolatry, worshiping false gods, sacrificing their own children, and immoral living. God’s punishment, destroy the land, kick the Jews out of it, and remove Himself from their presence. These were not just ordinary people, these were His people, those who were supposed to be the example that the rest of the world were to follow.
“Israel is an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto himself: according to the multitude of his fruit he hath increased the altars; according to the goodness of his land they have made goodly images. Their heart is divided; now shall they be found faulty: he shall break down their altars, he shall spoil their images. O Israel, thou hast sinned from the days of Gibeah: there they stood: the battle in Gibeah against the children of iniquity did not overtake them. It is in my desire that I should chastise them; and the people shall be gathered against them, when they shall bind themselves in their two furrows. And Ephraim is as an heifer that is taught, and loveth to tread out the corn; but I passed over upon her fair neck: I will make Ephraim to ride; Judah shall plow, and Jacob shall break his clods. Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you. Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men.” – Hosea 10:1-2,9-13.
“for it is time to seek the LORD,” You cannot love God and the world at the same time, it will always lead to destruction. In the midst of their troubles as a nation, they never thought of seeking help from God, they put their trust in men, and the result of that was worshiping false gods instead of the One True God. I think the one thing that angers God most next to a person rejecting Him is one who knows Him and leads a double life, they worship Him yet the world also. While the judgment God placed upon them stood that did not stop Him from wanting to save them from it. God continues to stress His anger toward all of Israel, bit still pleads with them.
“And my people are bent to backsliding from me: though they called them to the most High, none at all would exalt him. How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee, Israel? how shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I set thee as Zeboim? mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together. I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim: for I am God, and not man; the Holy One in the midst of thee: and I will not enter into the city. They shall walk after the LORD: he shall roar like a lion: when he shall roar, then the children shall tremble from the west. They shall tremble as a bird out of Egypt, and as a dove out of the land of Assyria: and I will place them in their houses, saith the LORD.” – Hosea 11:7-11.
“for I am God, and not man;” Let me tell you, you cannot turn to a place you never were to begin with, if you know Christ as your Saviour it is detrimental on you if should you even try to go back into the world, He will not let you, not if you are grounded in Him. Everyone sins, everyone stumbles, some of us backslide, but Jesus will not let one of His completely fall away from Him if they belong to Him. That is what God’s grace is for, when we stumble, He is there, when we backslide, He will be there for us when we turn to Him. The problem is not that these people are blind to that fact that what they are doing is sin, it is that they do not have Jesus. We are all sinners, we all need Jesus, He is the only one who can open our eyes to see that. “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” – I Corinthians 6:9-11.
“but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus,” How amazing is it that we who are saved by the blood of Christ can stand before God and not be condemned for every sin that we committed? Jesus saves our souls when we receive Him as our Saviour, praise God! However, salvation does not mean that we can live in open or secret sin and not face the consequences for our actions. God encourages Israel to return to Him and He will heal them from the repercussions of their backsliding.
“O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. 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. I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him. I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the LORD are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein.” – Hosea 14:1-2,4-5,9.
“and turn to the LORD:” God does not stay angry at His people forever should they backslide. We can expect chastening and challenges to keep us fearing God, but the most amazing thing of all, we will come out of all of this alive. You see, since our salvation is not dependent upon our works, but our faith in Christ alone, our soul is safe, in tact, and grounded on Christ. When our flesh gives out and we get to heaven, we get to await the day He returns to claim His throne, and that is when our bodies will resurrect into our glorified bodies, we will receive immorality and never have to endure any pain again. “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.” – I Corinthians 15:51-54. Praise God!
Jesus Christ Magnified: “Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.” – Hosea 10:12.
Today’s Prayer: God, We come to you seeking Your direction in our lives. We ask for a humble and willing heart so that we can effectively endure the challenges we face. Lord, Absorb Your Word into our hearts so we walk uprightly and in Your ways and not our own. Let Your wisdom and Spirit that abides within us, guide us as we choose to walk with Your Son. Be our vision during the light of days and darkness of nights, whether we are waking or sleeping let us yield our all to You and wait patiently for You so that we do not fall away from you and into sin. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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