I just love reading the word of God. I honestly don’t know how I went so many years without reading the Bible on a consistent, daily basis. I was missing out on so much! I definitely underestimated how it could impact me. Anyway, this morning I was reading in Hosea, which I’ve never read read before, and this little book is absolutely jammed packed with lessons and takeaways that can be applied to our lives today. Isn’t it just mind blowing how something written thousand of years ago can still apply to our lives today in 2024? I can’t even wrap my mind around it, but gosh I am so thankful for the word of God.
The book of Hosea parallels Hosea’s relationship with his wife, who is unfaithful, to God’s relationship with the nation of Israel. Although the people made a covenant with the one true God, they went after false gods and idols. In the same way, Hosea married Gomer, knowing ahead of time that she would leave him. Hosea tenderly dealt with his wife in spite of her sin, and God was merciful and compassionate toward the people of Israel despite their sins. Our God has not changed–He is still merciful and forgiving!
My takeways from Hosea:
- When we succeed, who gets the credit? We often think things like hard work, good luck, having the right connections, etc are the reason for our success in life. We want to give ourselves credit for our accomplishments, but everything we have comes from God. He places us where we are for a reason. And He should be given the glory first above anything else.
- We often tolerate the influence of things that are not good for us. The Isrealites were so immersed in idolatry that they worshiped pagan gods. They slowly let the influence of the Canaanite gods impact their thinking and it separated them for God. There are so many influences coming at us every single day–we must guard our hearts and minds from things that slowly work to separate us from God.
- God speaks to us in the desert. Oh how I know this is true! So often God leads us through a “desert”, or a hard season, to draw us closer to Him. He removes all the distractions and uses that time to speak to us. Those are often the times transformation happens the most. I can absolutely attest to that! I’ve had the most life changing experiences with God during times I’ve been at my lowest.
- God will buy us back. This is my favorite takeaway! Gomer, Hosea’s wife, sold herself into prostitution. She was worth very little when Hosea found her and bought her back. And God does the exact same for us. No matter how low we sink, or how far we’ve fallen, God is willing to come and find us. He will buy us back, redeem us, and lift us up again. He never stops loving us or pursuing us. When we turn to God, He always promises a fresh new beginning.
I’m just in awe of God and these lessons He has tucked away in the Bible for us. I pray we can let these words open our eyes and hearts to His goodness, although it’s too great for our minds to every truly comprehend.
Isn’t this exactly how God restores us! He never turns away from us and is always there when we turn back to Him! His arms are open wide and He renews our strength and love. Our difficult journey in life keeps us wanting more of Jesus!!! I’m so thankful for all the hard times!! I need JESUS MORE EVERY DAY!
”God speaks to us in the desert.”
Indeed! The Hebrew noun for ‘word’ is דָּבָר (dabar). The Hebrew verb for ‘to speak’ is also דָּבַר (dabar). The verb conjugation for first person present tense or ‘I speak’ is מְדַבֵּר (medaber). The Hebrew noun for ‘desert’ or ‘wilderness’ is מִדְבָּר (midbar). In other words, they all share the same etymology. So the desert is literally ‘the place of words’.
How reflective and applicable
Thanks 😊
Great job
Hi Sarah. We have been in a deep valley for over 2 years now. God has been faithful always, He has revealed Himself at times, & at other times He has been silent. I continue to trust He has a plan through all of this. But boy would I like to get a break soon! Ha! My husband has been unemployed for over 2 years, I went through my cancer journey last year, thankfully it’s over and I’m receiving some therapy now for lymphedema. We have to sell our home because we can no longer afford it since he’s unemployed. Last week he was in a head on collision because he fell asleep at the wheel. Thankfully he is fine & so is the person he hit. We have no money left to buy another car at this point. He has knee issues that we are waiting on insurance approval for treatment. The family that wanted to purchase our home, changed their minds during attorney review. So now we are trying to sell it again. These are just a few of the highlights. Anyway, I haven’t studied Hosea in a very long time. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on it. Your new home looks beautiful! Enjoy!
You should read Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. It’s a Christian fiction book based on the Book of Hosea. Excellent read
Thank you for sharing your heart and testimony sometime back… you are such an encouragement and so down to earth… your devotions are good for the soul…
My soul thirsts for you, Lord, like the desert thirst for rain. It is your face I long for, you alone are life to me 🙏🏻
I love reading your devotionals. ❤️