February 22, 2025

When trouble abounds, pray. Pour your heart out to God. Though the deliverance from your problems may seem far away, there is always something to be thankful for. Find rest knowing that our time on earth is short, but eternity with Jesus is waiting for us; he is our comfort during a trying time. Remember that although Lamentations is a sorrowful and heartbreaking book, God gave many opportunities for His people to repent and return to Him. If we make it our goal to seek Him daily, worshipping and praising Him with a repentant heart, we will avoid the correction of our loving Father. So, the moment you start seeing trouble, assess your life and see if any sins have gone unconfessed, areas where you may have turned away from God in disobedience, or if any people were harmed by your actions or inactions, intentionally or unintentionally. Talk to God, have Him assess your heart, and reveal where you are lacking. 

One sorrow expressed by Jeremiah was that the temple was in ruins. It was the most heartbreaking part of their calamities, even more so than any other complaint. Now, as opposed to then, the temple resides within us, so don’t allow it to go into ruins; maintain it through prayer, praise, and worship. 

Thou, O LORD, remainest for ever; thy throne from generation to generation. Lamentations 5:19

February 21, 2025

If you want to know what it might be like to go through the tribulation, you may want to read Lamentations. Proceed with caution and dare not go there if you are depressed. Even though I’ve read through the Bible many times, I’ve never gone through it slowly and methodically; I’m uncovering things I didn’t know were there. Jeremiah speaks of disturbing and disgusting things that dignified humans don’t even talk about today. Israel was taken captive, but the elderly and the priest were left there to starve. He paints a picture, with words, of a gruesome scene that none of us want to experience. If we weren’t hidden in Jesus, we might have experienced the same wrath of God that Israel went through during this time in history. The best advice I can give you is to repent of your sins daily, seek God’s forgiveness, and ask Him to help you overcome transgressions that break His heart. You can think of sinful things without realizing it. For that reason, we must take every thought captive, or we could end up being taken captive by our enemies, whether physically or mentally. God wanted us to know that He doesn’t play games, and we should take Him seriously. The following verses are the most hopeful that I’ve found in this book.

It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. Lamentations 3:22-24

February 20, 2025

Israel's repentance and return to the Almighty living God were not to be found, and therefore, they would suffer the consequences of their actions or inactions. They were caught up in Baal and idol worship and never looked back at all the things God had done for them. However, it isn't just Israel who is guilty of rejecting God; as Christians, when we chase after the mighty dollar with no regard for the lives of others, we are as guilty as biblical Israel. When will we all learn that all our sustenance comes from God? Anything and everything you have comes from God; you have done nothing on your own. He presses you along, showing you the way, encouraging you to prosper for His and the Church's benefit. If we would only recognize His involvement in our lives and acknowledge Him for the morsels we get, He would continue to help usher us along. Pressing forward without accepting God and His favor leads to a dead end, and no good comes from it. Regardless of our iniquities, there is good news! Though we are wretched, God's heart is toward us and gave us His son, Jesus, as a propitiation for our sins. Jesus was sacrificed and victorious over death, and now, because he loves us, we no longer have to fear death because the blood of the Lamb overcame it, and our sins are forgiven. Praise God for His amazing love.

I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes. Hosea 13:14

February 19, 2025

I’m finding the study of Hosea daunting. However, there is also a sweet nugget of information that leads me to believe, though I’m not sure if Hosea knew, that the first few verses of chapter 6 allude to Jesus’s time in the grave and his resurrection. It also could have been a known saying throughout Judah and Israel, possibly explaining why they tried to cover up the period of Jesus’s death and resurrection. 

Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. Hosea 6:1-2

Hosea, or whoever is speaking in the first few verses, mentions how soothing it would be for God to heal them, much like the spring and fall rains. However, in this instance, some may have wanted to turn back to the Lord, at least in words, but they didn’t because God pointed out their continued iniquities. 

But they like men have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me. Hosea 6:7

Many people want to turn to the Lord, but the things of the flesh keep drawing them back to sinful behavior and keeping them from fully turning their hearts over to the Lord. We plant the seeds, but the Holy Spirit draws them to the Lord, but they must be able to see their need for him. It seems that Judah and Israel wanted God’s blessing but didn’t want to turn from their evil ways. God will not relent in his punishment until there is total submission to His will, which is a good lesson for all of us to remember.

February 18, 2025

The Book of Hosea is challenging to understand. God gave instructions to Hosea to marry a harlot and have children with her. I've always thought Gomer was a loose woman with many husbands, but according to Matthew Henry, she was probably not exactly as we thought; otherwise, they would have stoned her, and it would have dishonored Hosea to marry a whore, but that's what it says. However, she may have been a big flirt going after many men. This idea makes much more sense, even though it doesn't read that way in the Bible. Hosea was a prophet from his youth, and God gave him a mandate to marry Gomer as an example to Israel and Judah. Hosea was to live out this physical prophecy to show Israel and Judah what was coming.

Hosea gave his children prophetical names. His first son's name was Jezreel, which means seed of God, but also scattered seed of God. The royal family lived in Jezreel, and naming his son Jezreel foretold the royal family's fall. Then Gomer conceived a daughter, and Hosea named her Loruhamah, meaning God will not have mercy upon the house of Israel, but I will utterly take them away. However, God said He would have mercy on Judah. Then Gomer had another son, and Hosea named him Loammi, meaning God was rejecting them and would no longer be His people, and He would not be their God. This is the point where Hosea predicts the Gentiles were to be brought in as God's children and would also be considered sons of God. It makes sense that when Jesus came and brought in the Gentiles, we would be numbered with the kingdom of Judah. After the captivity in Babylon, the kingdom of Israel would return and join Judah. Now, the question is: Why is the current country of Israel called Israel instead of Judah? Hmm.

Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel. Hosea 1:11

February 17, 2025

Amos was relentless in getting God's message to the people of Israel. When God gives you a message to share, if you are disobedient and don't share it, He will use someone else, and they will get the credit and honor from God. He warned that their worship of idols and their poor treatment of the less fortunate would lead them into Assyrian captivity; he would put them in the land that only worships idols. His repeated message was to seek God and live, yet they were so obstinate that they didn't listen. Just like the conservatives of our day, the ones who knew the truth kept silent because they knew it wouldn't do any good to speak up, and they would receive punishment for being outspoken. Amos complained that they hated him, rebuked him in the gate, and abhorred him, who spoke the truth. 

Here is a truth that we all need to hear:

Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD isdarkness, and not light. As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him. Shall not the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it? Amos 5:18-20

Many of us are guilty of desiring the Lord’s return, and yes, we are excited to leave this world for the kingdom of heaven. Still, the devastation that accompanies his return is going to be awful, and many people we know will be tormented by the mighty hand of God. Rather than desire Jesus’s return, we should be working to introduce him to the lost so they can escape the flames of hell.

But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream. Amos 5:24

February 16, 2025

Many of us can understand the excitement over seeing the government soon face the repercussions of their actions and getting rich off the backs of the people. The sad part is that it’s coming from our very own people! Imagine being devastated by other countries who set their actions to physically destroy God’s children, much like they did back in the days of the kings of Israel. We can be sure that God will avenge His people and take out our enemies. Amos was one of those He sent with the warning. Amos was a herdsman that God used to convey His message. He was not born a prophet or a prophet’s son, but God sent a word through him to give fair warning of the recompense coming down on the nations who were oppressing God’s people. If there is one thing I have learned from studying God’s Word, it’s that He will not tolerate harm to His people for very long and will eventually step in and avenge them. However, don’t think for a minute that He will accept our oppression of others either; we will also receive punishment for harming others, but it’s worse for those who come after us. If you are facing a challenging time, know that whoever is causing your pain will be dealt with by God Almighty. In the meantime, strengthen your resolve and know that you will be victorious in the end!

But I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it shall devour the palaces thereof, with shouting in the day of battle, with a tempest in the day of the whirlwind: And their king shall go into captivity, he and his princes together, saith the LORD. Amos 1:14-15