The Allegiance Hosea 14:9 – Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them; for the ways of the Lord are right, and the upright walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them. Hosea calls for the people to return to the LORD their God, ‘for you have stumbled… Continue reading Hosea – Part 5 of 5
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Hosea – Part 4 of 5
The Action Hosea 10:12 – Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you. The Lord had released the Israelites from their captivity with Egypt and if they didn’t change their ways and return… Continue reading Hosea – Part 4 of 5
Hosea – Part 3 of 5
The Apathy Hosea 6:6 – For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. Israel brought their burnt offerings to the temples, some making the long journey to Dan or Bethal to make the sacrifice to the golden calf. They were so misguided and their knowledge of God… Continue reading Hosea – Part 3 of 5
Hosea – Part 2 of 5
The Accusation Hosea 5:15 – I will return again to my place, until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face, and in their distress earnestly seek me. The Lord had instructed Hosea to marry and when she left him for another man, the Lord instructed him to redeem her back so that all the… Continue reading Hosea – Part 2 of 5
Hosea – Part 1 of 5
The Abandonment Hosea 2:19 – And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy. I will betroth you to me in faithfulness, and you shall know the Lord. The book of Hosea can be uncomfortable reading because it uses… Continue reading Hosea – Part 1 of 5
Jonah – The Complaint
Jonah 4:2 – And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love,… Continue reading Jonah – The Complaint
Jonah – The Compliance
Jonah 3:3 – So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Chapter 3 opens with, ‘Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time.’ Jonah had found redemption with God, for although God was displeased with how he had acted, the Lord never actually left him.… Continue reading Jonah – The Compliance
Jonah – The Cry
Jonah 2:7 – When my life was fainting away, I remembered the Lord, and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple. The problem with Jonah running from God was that instead of bringing blessing to those around him, he brought disaster. From the moment he rejected God’s word, his life was literally on… Continue reading Jonah – The Cry
Jonah – The Call
Jonah 1:2 – “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.” In contrast to the other Prophetic books, this one is focused on the messenger as opposed to the message. Instead of learning from the wrongs of a people, we learn lessons from… Continue reading Jonah – The Call
Brother to Brother
But do not gloat over the day of your brother in the day of his misfortune. Obadiah v12 Obadiah is the shortest of the prophetic books with only 21 verses. As I read, I try to find the lessons within each book, and when writing devotions, I particularly try to find the encouragement within the… Continue reading Brother to Brother
