Hosea 10:12
Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.
Although I sometimes use the flip and point method, I am a huge proponent of reading the Bible in context. It is wise to read an entire book and considering the message and noting how it develops. This is one of the reasons I love Job so much.
So I was thinking about what book to start reading next when I thought of Hosea. I’m not sure how or when. But I discovered myself reading this much longer than anticipated book. I didn’t realize it has 14 chapters. I did know about the theme in the first three chapters and how it would apply to the later chapters.
Verse 12 stuck out to me as an oasis in a desert. It gives hope in a time of despair. It shows an action course for us to follow. Think about it and consider how Israel's past would be different if they had followed these verses (my commits reflect how I apply the verse in my life; it is taken a bit out of context of Hosea—but not really):
Sow to yourselves in righteousness – plant holiness in your life, reject sin…
reap in mercy – be prepared to forgive others, show kindness…
break up your fallow ground – reach out of your comfort zone, do something BOLD…
for it is time to seek the LORD – it requires action on our part, read the bible, pray
till he come and rain righteousness upon you – God will notice, His response might not be what you expect
I was truly surprised when I came across verse 12. I was absorbed in thinking about Hosea, Gomer, and Israel for ten chapters and this verse brought me back to reality. As Derek Webb so often mentions in his songs, we are apt at playing the whore. We must crucify ourselves daily for Christ so that we remain faithful to God.
Please think about Hosea 10:12 today and how it might change how you live!
Footnote: In doing research for this post, I discovered that Derek Webb is releasing “Mockingbird” as a free download. I just downloaded it! Look for my review in the coming days.
Although I sometimes use the flip and point method, I am a huge proponent of reading the Bible in context. It is wise to read an entire book and considering the message and noting how it develops. This is one of the reasons I love Job so much.
So I was thinking about what book to start reading next when I thought of Hosea. I’m not sure how or when. But I discovered myself reading this much longer than anticipated book. I didn’t realize it has 14 chapters. I did know about the theme in the first three chapters and how it would apply to the later chapters.
Verse 12 stuck out to me as an oasis in a desert. It gives hope in a time of despair. It shows an action course for us to follow. Think about it and consider how Israel's past would be different if they had followed these verses (my commits reflect how I apply the verse in my life; it is taken a bit out of context of Hosea—but not really):
Sow to yourselves in righteousness – plant holiness in your life, reject sin…
reap in mercy – be prepared to forgive others, show kindness…
break up your fallow ground – reach out of your comfort zone, do something BOLD…
for it is time to seek the LORD – it requires action on our part, read the bible, pray
till he come and rain righteousness upon you – God will notice, His response might not be what you expect
I was truly surprised when I came across verse 12. I was absorbed in thinking about Hosea, Gomer, and Israel for ten chapters and this verse brought me back to reality. As Derek Webb so often mentions in his songs, we are apt at playing the whore. We must crucify ourselves daily for Christ so that we remain faithful to God.
Please think about Hosea 10:12 today and how it might change how you live!
Footnote: In doing research for this post, I discovered that Derek Webb is releasing “Mockingbird” as a free download. I just downloaded it! Look for my review in the coming days.
posted by kersh | 11:06 PM
|
3 comments
