February 03, 2012
"Come back to the LORD!" Say to him, "Take away all our sin and kindly receive us, and we will keep the promises we made to you." We will praise you! We will no longer trust in others or ourselves to save us. We will trust only in you. And God says, "I will forgive them for leaving me and I will love them freely." (Hosea 14:4)
Choose God—chose life.
Choose God's ways—chose peace, contentment, joy (even in the midst of life storms).
What God asks you to give up (self-effort, self-reliance) is nothing compared to what God gives! Hosea 12:6 - "You must return to your God love him, DO what is just, and always trust in him as your God." Return. Love. Do. Trust. It has to be done in that order.
1) Return to the LORD—you can not do it on your own;
2) Love him—obedience comes from love, not a legalistic following of rules;
3) Do what is just—true love results in action, love (faith) without action is dead;
4) Always trust—no matter what, God is God, we are not.
The choice to surrender for yourself, AND the choice to continue to hope that your loved ones will choose to surrender as well.
Addendum: 9/21/15 ~ "I, the LORD, am the one who answers your prayers and watches over you. I am like a green pine tree; your blessings come from me." Thank you LORD for the reminder.
The last words of Hosea just really struck a cord with me today. There is one common denominator but two drastically different results.
Next Entry: Joel 1:1 – 3:21
"Come back to the LORD!" Say to him, "Take away all our sin and kindly receive us, and we will keep the promises we made to you." We will praise you! We will no longer trust in others or ourselves to save us. We will trust only in you. And God says, "I will forgive them for leaving me and I will love them freely." (Hosea 14:4)
"I, the LORD, am the one who answers your prayers and watches over you. I am like a green pine tree; your blessings come from me. A wise person will take them to heart. The LORD's ways are right. Good people live by following them, but those who turn against God die because of them." (Hosea 14:8–9)Choices—consequences.
Choose God—chose life.
Choose God's ways—chose peace, contentment, joy (even in the midst of life storms).
What God asks you to give up (self-effort, self-reliance) is nothing compared to what God gives! Hosea 12:6 - "You must return to your God love him, DO what is just, and always trust in him as your God." Return. Love. Do. Trust. It has to be done in that order.
1) Return to the LORD—you can not do it on your own;
2) Love him—obedience comes from love, not a legalistic following of rules;
3) Do what is just—true love results in action, love (faith) without action is dead;
4) Always trust—no matter what, God is God, we are not.
The choice to surrender for yourself, AND the choice to continue to hope that your loved ones will choose to surrender as well.
Addendum: 9/21/15 ~ "I, the LORD, am the one who answers your prayers and watches over you. I am like a green pine tree; your blessings come from me." Thank you LORD for the reminder.
The last words of Hosea just really struck a cord with me today. There is one common denominator but two drastically different results.
"The LORD's ways are right. Good people live by following them, but those who turn against God die because of them."Following God's ways brings life. Turning against God's ways brings spiritual death.
Next Entry: Joel 1:1 – 3:21
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