Hosea 14:9 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.
Yes Friends, we all claim to know that ‘the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them,’ but why are so many of us not walking the walk eh? Is it that we are not just? Failure to walk the walk doesn’t say much about us or help the cause of Christ, but hinders it, brings it into disrepute. Yesterday we talked about returning to the Lord from our worshipping of fleshly lusts, which put us into His bad books. (Hos.14:1-2) Today we’ll look at some of the reasons why Hosea advocated change, (Hos;14:3-8) There’s one statement that amazes me: ‘neither will we say anymore to the work of our hands, Ye are our God’s.’ (Vs.3) Hn! How can we make something then worship it eh? It doesn’t make sense. Where does it get it’s power from? Had to be from us, since we made it. But something can only be considered ‘worshipful’ if it’s outside of your control, like the Lord God Jehovah, over whom we have absolutely no power. And the benefits of serving the Lord and plentiful and wonderful, as Hosea pointed out to Israel. So let’s consider a few. Hosea says, ‘for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy.’ (Vs.3) That’s so true Friends. Throughout the Bible the Lord’s positioned Himself as a champion of widows, orphans and strangers. And believe me, there are a lot of those unfortunates in our society. Remember too people, that mercy is not earnable, but derives from the generosity of our God, His wanting to give us good things we don’t really deserve. ‘I will heal their backsliding…will love them freely; for my anger is turned away…’ (Vs.4) Wow! What a magnanimous deity! He’ll help us curb our worldly lusts and LOVE us freely, cause His anger dissipates once, like lost sheep, we return to the fold. Friends, can you imagine the magnitude of that forgiveness and the depth of LOVE He has for us? It just boggles the imagination! It’s Jesus’ parable about the prodigal son; the penniless, profligate offspring that recognizes the error of his ways and returns home to a hero’s welcome, rather than a sharp dressing down. What more can we ask of Him eh? Not much. But He’s so happy to see us back in the fold that He promises to be like blessed dew to us, and we ‘shall grow as the lily..’ graceful and beautiful, ‘and cast forth roots as Lebanon.’ deep and strong. (Vs.5) Our ‘branches shall spread,’ wide and leafy, like boughs in the fullness of spring. Our beauty ‘shall be as the olive tree,’ considered very comely. (Vs.6) As Bruh David says: ‘But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God.’ (Ps.52:3) Beautiful and upright! ‘They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn; and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon.’ (Vs.7) Yes people, we shall be fruitful and multiply under the Lord’s tender nurturing. Brings to mind the vision that Daniel saw of a strong tree that grew up to heaven and across the earth, with beautiful leaves and plentiful fruit, ‘and in it was meat for all.’ (Dan.4:11-12) Yes Friends, that one tree fed everybody; fowl, beast and man. Such is the power and glory of our God. Then, I love the way Hosea writes, ‘Ephraim shall say, What have I to do anymore with idols? I have heard him, and observed him: I am like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found.’ (Vs.8) Yes Friends, in the Lord is our fruit found, and Jesus reiterated it in John 15:4-5, when He says He’s the vine and we the branches, and if we abide in Him, then we’ll bear fruit, but if we don’t, we’ll be barren, for without Him we can do nothing. That’s the gospel truth people, ‘And who is wise..shall understand these things? prudent…shall know them? for the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein.’ Oh Friends, let’s try to be wise, prudent and just, for the other option is unthinkable. Much LOVE!..let’s all shout..we’ll choose the Lord…Amen!
Yes Friends, we all claim to know that ‘the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them,’ but why are so many of us not walking the walk eh? Is it that we are not just? Failure to walk the walk doesn’t say much about us or help the cause of Christ, but hinders it, brings it into disrepute. Yesterday we talked about returning to the Lord from our worshipping of fleshly lusts, which put us into His bad books. (Hos.14:1-2) Today we’ll look at some of the reasons why Hosea advocated change, (Hos;14:3-8) There’s one statement that amazes me: ‘neither will we say anymore to the work of our hands, Ye are our God’s.’ (Vs.3) Hn! How can we make something then worship it eh? It doesn’t make sense. Where does it get it’s power from? Had to be from us, since we made it. But something can only be considered ‘worshipful’ if it’s outside of your control, like the Lord God Jehovah, over whom we have absolutely no power. And the benefits of serving the Lord and plentiful and wonderful, as Hosea pointed out to Israel. So let’s consider a few. Hosea says, ‘for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy.’ (Vs.3) That’s so true Friends. Throughout the Bible the Lord’s positioned Himself as a champion of widows, orphans and strangers. And believe me, there are a lot of those unfortunates in our society. Remember too people, that mercy is not earnable, but derives from the generosity of our God, His wanting to give us good things we don’t really deserve. ‘I will heal their backsliding…will love them freely; for my anger is turned away…’ (Vs.4) Wow! What a magnanimous deity! He’ll help us curb our worldly lusts and LOVE us freely, cause His anger dissipates once, like lost sheep, we return to the fold. Friends, can you imagine the magnitude of that forgiveness and the depth of LOVE He has for us? It just boggles the imagination! It’s Jesus’ parable about the prodigal son; the penniless, profligate offspring that recognizes the error of his ways and returns home to a hero’s welcome, rather than a sharp dressing down. What more can we ask of Him eh? Not much. But He’s so happy to see us back in the fold that He promises to be like blessed dew to us, and we ‘shall grow as the lily..’ graceful and beautiful, ‘and cast forth roots as Lebanon.’ deep and strong. (Vs.5) Our ‘branches shall spread,’ wide and leafy, like boughs in the fullness of spring. Our beauty ‘shall be as the olive tree,’ considered very comely. (Vs.6) As Bruh David says: ‘But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God.’ (Ps.52:3) Beautiful and upright! ‘They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn; and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon.’ (Vs.7) Yes people, we shall be fruitful and multiply under the Lord’s tender nurturing. Brings to mind the vision that Daniel saw of a strong tree that grew up to heaven and across the earth, with beautiful leaves and plentiful fruit, ‘and in it was meat for all.’ (Dan.4:11-12) Yes Friends, that one tree fed everybody; fowl, beast and man. Such is the power and glory of our God. Then, I love the way Hosea writes, ‘Ephraim shall say, What have I to do anymore with idols? I have heard him, and observed him: I am like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found.’ (Vs.8) Yes Friends, in the Lord is our fruit found, and Jesus reiterated it in John 15:4-5, when He says He’s the vine and we the branches, and if we abide in Him, then we’ll bear fruit, but if we don’t, we’ll be barren, for without Him we can do nothing. That’s the gospel truth people, ‘And who is wise..shall understand these things? prudent…shall know them? for the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein.’ Oh Friends, let’s try to be wise, prudent and just, for the other option is unthinkable. Much LOVE!..let’s all shout..we’ll choose the Lord…Amen!
SCRIP-BITS 