Hosea 4 Devotions by Stephen Taylor

Hosea 4:1-3

Hear the word of the LORD, you Israelites, because the LORD has a charge to bring against you who live in the land: “There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgment of God in the land. There is only cursing, lying and murder, stealing and adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed. Because of this, the land dries up, and all who live in it waste away; the beasts of the field, the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea are swept away.” 

 

The cause and effect are clearly evident in these verses, and I couldn’t help but see the similarities in our country and even our world. But these verses aren’t directed toward the world but rather toward the Israelites, God’s children, His chosen people. These verses can serve as a warning to His Church and the desperate need for repentance and surrender. We are constantly chasing and desiring things that bring death but demanding and crying out for life.

 

We, as a whole, have forsaken the truth and bought into a lie. The lie is that we can live any way that we want, and God will be okay with it because He is love. God is love, no doubt, but God is also just, righteous, holy, perfect, and sovereign. God also sent His Son to pay the penalty on the cross for our sins. So, if sin’s not that big a deal, then why did the Son of God have to be sacrificed to pay for them?

 

We all sin and fall short of the glory of God, but the question I have is, are we committing sins, or are we living in them? Living in direct opposition to the Word of God is living in sin. Getting mad and losing your cool at that person that cut you off on the highway is committing a sin.

 

This is not a post to attack or condemn any of us but rather to encourage and spur us on toward repentance, obedience, and a life of fullness in Christ! I have a Scripture and then a question to close out:

 

John 8:31,32 - To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

 

Jesus says obeying and knowing the truth will set you free, but what happens when we know it and choose not to follow it?

 

God bless! I love you all! Glory, Honor, and Praise now and forever to Papa God, Jesus Christ our Risen King, and the Holy Spirit!

 

 

Hosea 4:1,2

Hear the word of the LORD, you Israelites, because the LORD has a charge to bring against you who live in the land: “There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgment of God in the land. There is only cursing, lying and murder, stealing and adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed.”

I wonder if this is how God views our nation. A nation once built upon faith and the Word of God is now crumbling under the weight of its rebellion and sin. This is not a post to denounce and demoralize our nation but rather just an honest look at how far we have fallen. As the abortion rate climbs and perversions replace our morals, I wonder if God looks down in disgust and sadness. A people who once were devoted to God now devoted to the things of the world. We are much like the Israelites of old, blessed with a nation not our own, and just like them, we forgot and forsook the One who gave it to us.

None of us alone can undo this travesty or fix it, none of us can clean up the world, but we can clean up our world. What I mean is this: I can’t control what they put on TV, but I can control what is watched on my TV. I cannot control what Congress does, but I can control who I do or don’t vote for. I can’t control that big company, but I can control who I buy my products from.

In our desire for ease and comfort, we unwittingly support the enemy’s agenda by what we allow in and what we spend our time and money on. I’ve done it, we all have, but we don’t have to continue to do it any longer. We can start supporting Christian business owners, we can change what’s on our TV, and if we want to vote, we can cast our vote for the one whose policies most resemble the Word of God. I’m not a political guy, and this isn’t a political post, but I am a redeemed child of God, and I know that the state of this nation is not what God desires for us. But each one must make their choice how they wil live, because no one can change it all. We are not responsible for how the nation lives, but we are responsible to God for the families, monies, time, talents, and people He has blessed us with; how are we doing with them?

Joshua 24:14,15- “Now fear the LORD and serve Him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”

Each must make a choice; what will you choose? God bless! I love you all, but His love can lead a nation from death to life! Glory, honor, and praise now and forever to Papa God, Jesus Christ our King, and the Holy Spirit!