Day 66 - March 7, 2025

Scripture: Psalm 61

For the Director of Music, with Stringed Instruments. A Psalm of David.

1 Hear my cry, O God;
    listen to my prayer.

2 From the ends of the earth I call to you,
    I call as my heart grows faint;
    lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
3 For you have been my refuge,
    a strong tower against the foe.

4 I long to dwell in your tent forever
    and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.
5 For you, God, have heard my vows;
    you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.

6 Increase the days of the king’s life,
    his years for many generations.
7 May he be enthroned in God’s presence forever;
    appoint your love and faithfulness to protect him.

8 Then I will ever sing in praise of your name
    and fulfill my vows day after day.

Observation:

David, the Psalmist knows that God has always been David’s true help. He writes: “Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. (Psalm 61:1-3)

Like David, our God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble.

Application:

Like David, we should be ever thankful to our Lord for our salvation and our rock. May we always praise our Lord and God that the others in our lives will hear and see our praises and be enticed to seek the Lord for their own salvation and strength.

Prayer:

Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for your sacrifice that makes us whole in you. May we be ever thankful to you, singing your praises and witnessing to our friends and family that they also might seek your forgiveness and the new life that you promise all of your children. Amen.

Day 65, 2025 - March 6, 2025

Scripture: Psalm 40:1-11

1 I waited patiently for the Lord;
    he turned to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
    out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
    and gave me a firm place to stand.
3 He put a new song in my mouth,
    a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the Lord
    and put their trust in him.

4 Blessed is the one
    who trusts in the Lord,
who does not look to the proud,
    to those who turn aside to false gods.
5 Many, Lord my God,
    are the wonders you have done,
    the things you planned for us.
None can compare with you;
    were I to speak and tell of your deeds,
    they would be too many to declare.

6 Sacrifice and offering you did not desire—
    but my ears you have opened—
    burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require.
7 Then I said, “Here I am, I have come—
    it is written about me in the scroll.
8 I desire to do your will, my God;
    your law is within my heart.”

9 I proclaim your saving acts in the great assembly;
    I do not seal my lips, Lord,
    as you know.
10 I do not hide your righteousness in my heart;
    I speak of your faithfulness and your saving help.
I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness
    from the great assembly.

11 Do not withhold your mercy from me, Lord;
    may your love and faithfulness always protect me.

Observation:

“ I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him.” (Psalm 40:1-3)

David extols the virtue of waiting upon the Lord and writes about standing on the firm foundation of God’s love and provision. The Lord puts a new song in our mouths and a trust in our hearts that continually sings praises to God for God’s faithfulness and enduring love.

Application:

Therefore, we can rest in the Lord who sets our feet on a firm foundation of his love and faithfulness. As we place our trust in our Lord, we will not be disapointed.

Prayer:

Lord, let our mouths and our hearts continually sing your praises for you are our Rock and our Firm Foundation and we can trust in you. Allow others in our lives to see and hear our praises that they might draw close to you and be captured by your saving love. Amen.

Day 64 - March 5, 2025

Scripture: Psalm 51

For The Director of Music. A Psalm of David, When the Prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.

1 Have mercy on me, O God,
    according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
    blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash away all my iniquity
    and cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I know my transgressions,
    and my sin is always before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned
    and done what is evil in your sight;
so you are right in your verdict
    and justified when you judge.
5 Surely I was sinful at birth,
    sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
6 Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
    you taught me wisdom in that secret place.

7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
    wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
    let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins
    and blot out all my iniquity.

10 Create in me a pure heart, O God,
    and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me from your presence
    or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation
    and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
    so that sinners will turn back to you.
14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
    you who are God my Savior,
    and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
15 Open my lips, Lord,
    and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
    you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
17 My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
    a broken and contrite heart
    you, God, will not despise.

18 May it please you to prosper Zion,
    to build up the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous,
    in burnt offerings offered whole;
    then bulls will be offered on your altar.

Observation:

David is consumed with guilt after the prophet Nathan confronted him regarding his adultery with Bathsheba, and his premeditated murder of Bathsheba’s husband Uriah. In this tremendous guilt, David writes Psalm 51 saying: “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.” (Psalm 51:1-3)

David had enjoyed God’s favor and now he feels the loss of that relationship. His sin is so great yet he focuses on his first sin against God. David also knows that he had sinned against Bathsheba, Uriah, and the nation of Israel, of which he is the king. Yet his confession to God is for God to wipe away his iniquities and to blot out his transgressions. He wants God to restore to him the joy of his salvation and to give him a clean heart.

Application:

The truth of the matter is that everyone of us has fallen far short of the Glory of God, and each one of us, your pastor included, needs to pray the prayer of confession to God. Each one of us needs to have broken and contrite hearts before our God that he may restore us to a right relationship with our Holy God.

Prayer:

Dear Lord, our God, when we measure our lives against your Word and your Ways, we find ourselves wanting, for we have all fallen short of your best intentions for our lives. Help us to approach the throne of your grace with broken and contrite hearts. Create in us clean hearts and a spirit that is steadfast in following your ways, and your truth, and your life. Thank you for sending your son, our Lord, Jesus as an atonement for our sins, and help us with the gift of your Spirit to follow Jesus in the ways that lead to life eternal. Amen.

Day 63- March 4, 2025

Scripture: Psalm 33

1 Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous;
    it is fitting for the upright to praise him.
2 Praise the Lord with the harp;
    make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.
3 Sing to him a new song;
    play skillfully, and shout for joy.

4 For the word of the Lord is right and true;
    he is faithful in all he does.
5 The Lord loves righteousness and justice;
    the earth is full of his unfailing love.

6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
    their starry host by the breath of his mouth.
7 He gathers the waters of the sea into jars[a];
    he puts the deep into storehouses.
8 Let all the earth fear the Lord;
    let all the people of the world revere him.
9 For he spoke, and it came to be;
    he commanded, and it stood firm.

10 The Lord foils the plans of the nations;
    he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
11 But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever,
    the purposes of his heart through all generations.

12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
    the people he chose for his inheritance.
13 From heaven the Lord looks down
    and sees all mankind;
14 from his dwelling place he watches
    all who live on earth—
15 he who forms the hearts of all,
    who considers everything they do.

16 No king is saved by the size of his army;
    no warrior escapes by his great strength.
17 A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;
    despite all its great strength it cannot save.
18 But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him,
    on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
19 to deliver them from death
    and keep them alive in famine.

20 We wait in hope for the Lord;
    he is our help and our shield.
21 In him our hearts rejoice,
    for we trust in his holy name.
22 May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,
    even as we put our hope in you.

Observation:

Our God created the heavens and the earth and knows all things and the mind of every person. Nothing is beyond the Lord’s sight. “Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere him. For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.” (Psalm 33:8-9)

Application:

Knowing that God is aware of all things, we should have a righteous fear of the Lord, submitting ourselves to God’s Lordship. When we work against the Lord’s purposes, we labor in vain because the “…Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.” (Psalm 33:10-11)

Prayer:

Look upon our lives Lord and guide our paths. Lead us into righteous and joyous living as we place our trust in you daily. For we wait in joyful hope for the Lord because he is our constant help in all circumstances. May we live in a righteous fear of you as we trust in your Holy Name. Amen.

Day 62 - March 3, 2025

Scripture: Psalm 31

1 In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;
    let me never be put to shame;
    deliver me in your righteousness.
2 Turn your ear to me,
    come quickly to my rescue;
be my rock of refuge,
    a strong fortress to save me.
3 Since you are my rock and my fortress,
    for the sake of your name lead and guide me.
4 Keep me free from the trap that is set for me,
    for you are my refuge.
5 Into your hands I commit my spirit;
    deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.

6 I hate those who cling to worthless idols;
    as for me, I trust in the Lord.
7 I will be glad and rejoice in your love,
    for you saw my affliction
    and knew the anguish of my soul.
8 You have not given me into the hands of the enemy
    but have set my feet in a spacious place.

9 Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress;
    my eyes grow weak with sorrow,
    my soul and body with grief.
10 My life is consumed by anguish
    and my years by groaning;
my strength fails because of my affliction,[b]
    and my bones grow weak.
11 Because of all my enemies,
    I am the utter contempt of my neighbors
and an object of dread to my closest friends—
    those who see me on the street flee from me.
12 I am forgotten as though I were dead;
    I have become like broken pottery.
13 For I hear many whispering,
    “Terror on every side!”
They conspire against me
    and plot to take my life.

14 But I trust in you, Lord;
    I say, “You are my God.”
15 My times are in your hands;
    deliver me from the hands of my enemies,
    from those who pursue me.
16 Let your face shine on your servant;
    save me in your unfailing love.
17 Let me not be put to shame, Lord,
    for I have cried out to you;
but let the wicked be put to shame
    and be silent in the realm of the dead.
18 Let their lying lips be silenced,
    for with pride and contempt
    they speak arrogantly against the righteous.

19 How abundant are the good things
    that you have stored up for those who fear you,
that you bestow in the sight of all,
    on those who take refuge in you.
20 In the shelter of your presence you hide them
    from all human intrigues;
you keep them safe in your dwelling
    from accusing tongues.

21 Praise be to the Lord,
    for he showed me the wonders of his love
    when I was in a city under siege.
22 In my alarm I said,
    “I am cut off from your sight!”
Yet you heard my cry for mercy
    when I called to you for help.

23 Love the Lord, all his faithful people!
    The Lord preserves those who are true to him,
    but the proud he pays back in full.
24 Be strong and take heart,
    all you who hope in the Lord.

Observation:

David the Psalmist reflects on times when his enemies surrounded him and plotted against him. Yet David was able to call upon the Lord and seek shelter in God’s protection and strength. David concludes Psalm 31 saying: “ Love the Lord, all his faithful people! The Lord preserves those who are true to him, but the proud he pays back in full. Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.” (Psalm 31:23-24)

Application:

When all else fails, take refuge in God your Rock and your Redeemer. God is always there for God’s people, in the good times and in the bad. So take refuge in the Lord and allow him to be your source of strength.

Prayer:

Dear Lord, you are our Rock and our Redeemer, an ever-present help in all circumstances in life. Help us to remain faithful and unwavering in our trust of you. Help us to seek your guidance in all circumstances. Amen.

Day 61 - March 2, 2025

Scripture: Psalm 27

The Lord is my light and my salvation—
    whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
    of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When the wicked advance against me
    to devour me,
it is my enemies and my foes
    who will stumble and fall.
3 Though an army besiege me,
    my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
    even then I will be confident.

4 One thing I ask from the Lord,
    this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
    and to seek him in his temple.
5 For in the day of trouble
    he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent
    and set me high upon a rock.

6 Then my head will be exalted
    above the enemies who surround me;
at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;
    I will sing and make music to the Lord.

7 Hear my voice when I call, Lord;
    be merciful to me and answer me.
8 My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”
    Your face, Lord, I will seek.
9 Do not hide your face from me,
    do not turn your servant away in anger;
    you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
    God my Savior.
10 Though my father and mother forsake me,
    the Lord will receive me.
11 Teach me your way, Lord;
    lead me in a straight path
    because of my oppressors.
12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
    for false witnesses rise up against me,
    spouting malicious accusations.

13 I remain confident of this:
    I will see the goodness of the Lord
    in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord;
    be strong and take heart
    and wait for the Lord.

Observation:

David, the Psalmist writes about his reliance upon the Lord for salvation and strength. “The Lord is my light and my salvation- whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life- of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1) if the Lord is for us who can be against us?

Application:

Like David, the Lord is also our salvation and our strength.. When we are living in God’s will, God is in us and with us through every trial and circumstance. We then are in the grip of God’s amazing grace and we have nothing to fear.

Prayer:

Lord help us to walk in the light of your word and be confident in our path. For you are our Rock and our Redeemer, our ever present help in all times and places. Amen.

Day 60 - March 1, 2025

Scripture: Psalm 25

1 In you, Lord my God,
    I put my trust.

2 I trust in you;
    do not let me be put to shame,
    nor let my enemies triumph over me.
3 No one who hopes in you
    will ever be put to shame,
but shame will come on those
    who are treacherous without cause.

4 Show me your ways, Lord,
    teach me your paths.
5 Guide me in your truth and teach me,
    for you are God my Savior,
    and my hope is in you all day long.
6 Remember, Lord, your great mercy and love,
    for they are from of old.
7 Do not remember the sins of my youth
    and my rebellious ways;
according to your love remember me,
    for you, Lord, are good.

8 Good and upright is the Lord;
    therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.
9 He guides the humble in what is right
    and teaches them his way.
10 All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful
    toward those who keep the demands of his covenant.
11 For the sake of your name, Lord,
    forgive my iniquity, though it is great.

12 Who, then, are those who fear the Lord?
    He will instruct them in the ways they should choose.
13 They will spend their days in prosperity,
    and their descendants will inherit the land.
14 The Lord confides in those who fear him;
    he makes his covenant known to them.
15 My eyes are ever on the Lord,
    for only he will release my feet from the snare.

16 Turn to me and be gracious to me,
    for I am lonely and afflicted.
17 Relieve the troubles of my heart
    and free me from my anguish.
18 Look on my affliction and my distress
    and take away all my sins.
19 See how numerous are my enemies
    and how fiercely they hate me!

20 Guard my life and rescue me;
    do not let me be put to shame,
    for I take refuge in you.
21 May integrity and uprightness protect me,
    because my hope, Lord, is in you.

22 Deliver Israel, O God,
    from all their troubles!

Observation:

David, the Psalmist is asking God to show him all of God’s ways. We too need to learn from the God who created us and loves with an everlasting love. “Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.” (Psalm 25:4-5)

Application:

When we turn to the Lord for wisdom and walk in the ways that he has set for us, we find out that God’s will for our lives is far superior to the will we have for our own lives. There is no better satisfaction for our lives than being in God’s will. For he knows the plans he has for us, plans to prosper us, to give us a hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)

Prayer:

Lord, teach us your ways that we might walk in them. Show us your unconditional love that we might love like you. Amen.

Day 59 - February 28, 2025

Scripture: Romans 8:18–39

Present Suffering and Future Glory

18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

More Than Conquerors

31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;
    we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”[c]

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Observation:

The Spirit of God is always there to help us and when we do not know what to pray for the Spirit prays for us in groanings that we do not understand. Yet it is the perfect prayer for us because “…he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.” (Romans 8:27)

Application:

As the Spirit of God is in us as believers in Jesus Christ, we have an internal guide to keep us in God’s love and God’s purpose for our lives. Therefore, we should cooperate with the leadings of the Spirit in our lives for “…we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” (Romans 8:28-29)

Prayer:

Lord your word today is packed with such good news. Because you are in us and with us, nothing then can separate us from your Love. Amen.

Day 58 - February 27, 2025

Scripture: Psalm 138

Psalm 138

1 I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart;
    before the “gods” I will sing your praise.
2 I will bow down toward your holy temple
    and will praise your name
    for your unfailing love and your faithfulness,
for you have so exalted your solemn decree
    that it surpasses your fame.
3 When I called, you answered me;
    you greatly emboldened me.

4 May all the kings of the earth praise you, Lord,
    when they hear what you have decreed.
5 May they sing of the ways of the Lord,
    for the glory of the Lord is great.

6 Though the Lord is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly;
    though lofty, he sees them from afar.
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
    you preserve my life.
You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes;
    with your right hand you save me.
8 The Lord will vindicate me;
    your love, Lord, endures forever—
    do not abandon the works of your hands.

Observation:

David, the Psalmist is thankful to the God who created him and gave him life and a purpose. “I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart; before the “gods” I will sing your praise. I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your unfailing love and your faithfulness…” (Psalm 138:1-2a)

Application:

When we praise our God, it should be completely - with all of our hearts. Because God is all good and is worthy of all of our praise, love, and obedience. Gord is our ever-present help in times of trouble.

Prayer:

Let us praise and thank you with all of our hearts for you are always there for your people. Help us to walk in newness of life with your Spirit guiding our steps and our activity. Let us look to you for the direction in which we should go. Amen.

Day 57 - February 26, 2025

Scripture: Psalm 136

Psalm 136

1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.

4 to him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever.
5 who by his understanding made the heavens,
His love endures forever.
6 who spread out the earth upon the waters,
His love endures forever.
7 who made the great lights—
His love endures forever.
8 the sun to govern the day,
His love endures forever.
9 the moon and stars to govern the night;
His love endures forever.

10 to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt
His love endures forever.
11 and brought Israel out from among them
His love endures forever.
12 with a mighty hand and outstretched arm;
His love endures forever.

13 to him who divided the Red Sea asunder
His love endures forever.
14 and brought Israel through the midst of it,
His love endures forever.
15 but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea;
His love endures forever.

16 to him who led his people through the wilderness;
His love endures forever.

17 to him who struck down great kings,
His love endures forever.
18 and killed mighty kings—
His love endures forever.
19 Sihon king of the Amorites
His love endures forever.
20 and Og king of Bashan—
His love endures forever.
21 and gave their land as an inheritance,
His love endures forever.
22 an inheritance to his servant Israel.
His love endures forever.

23 He remembered us in our low estate
His love endures forever.
24 and freed us from our enemies.
His love endures forever.
25 He gives food to every creature.
His love endures forever.

26 Give thanks to the God of heaven.
His love endures forever.

Observation:

The Psalmist continues indefinitely about why we should give thanks to the Lord, for everything in our lives. He writes: “Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever.” (Psalm 136:1) When we reflect upon the creation and all the events in our lives, what is most important to recognize is God’s amazing love that endures forever.

Application:

It is important to start our day every day with the understanding of God’s eternal love, a love that endures forever. When we reflect upon God’s love, we begin to see things from a more eternal perspective and we can begin to see God’s activity in our own lives. When we realize that God is love and that we were created out of God’s love, we will begin to trust more the circumstances of our lives and we can be appreciative of God’s love even in times of trial.

Prayer:

Dear Lord, help us to remember and reflect upon your amazing love. Help us to see everything in our lives through the lens of your eternal love. As we do this we will rest in your love and be confident in all things, because your love is a conquering love and your love endures forever. Amen.

Day 56 - February 25, 2025

Scripture: Hosea 14:1-9

Repentance to Bring Blessing

14 Return, Israel, to the Lord your God.
    Your sins have been your downfall!
2 Take words with you
    and return to the Lord.
Say to him:
    “Forgive all our sins
and receive us graciously,
    that we may offer the fruit of our lips.
3 Assyria cannot save us;
    we will not mount warhorses.
We will never again say ‘Our gods’
    to what our own hands have made,
    for in you the fatherless find compassion.”

4 “I will heal their waywardness
    and love them freely,
    for my anger has turned away from them.
5 I will be like the dew to Israel;
    he will blossom like a lily.
Like a cedar of Lebanon
    he will send down his roots;
6     his young shoots will grow.
His splendor will be like an olive tree,
    his fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon.
7 People will dwell again in his shade;
    they will flourish like the grain,
they will blossom like the vine—
    Israel’s fame will be like the wine of Lebanon.
8 Ephraim, what more have I to do with idols?
    I will answer him and care for him.
I am like a flourishing juniper;
    your fruitfulness comes from me.”

9 Who is wise? Let them realize these things.
    Who is discerning? Let them understand.
The ways of the Lord are right;
    the righteous walk in them,
    but the rebellious stumble in them.

Observation:

God, speaking through the prophet Hosea tells Israel to return to the Lord and ask for forgiveness. Reject the idols that they have made with their own hands.

Then God says: “I will heal their waywardness  and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them. I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like a lily. Like a cedar of Lebanon he will send down his roots; his young shoots will grow.” (Hosea 14:4-6)

Application:

When we turn away from our sinfulness and turn back to God, God is faithful and just to forgive our waywardness, restoring us to a full reconciled relationship with our God.

Prayer:

Lord God, help us to see our unrighteousness and turn back to you, repenting of our sins. Your word tells us that if we are faithful to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, we will be healed by your grace. Keep us from sinning and give us a new life in your Spirit that we may honor you in everything we do and say. Amen.

Day 55 - February 24, 2025

Scripture: Hosea 13:1-16

13 When Ephraim spoke, people trembled;
    he was exalted in Israel.
    But he became guilty of Baal worship and died.
2 Now they sin more and more;
    they make idols for themselves from their silver,
cleverly fashioned images,
    all of them the work of craftsmen.
It is said of these people,
    “They offer human sacrifices!
    They kiss calf-idols!”
3 Therefore they will be like the morning mist,
    like the early dew that disappears,
    like chaff swirling from a threshing floor,
    like smoke escaping through a window.

4 “But I have been the Lord your God
    ever since you came out of Egypt.
You shall acknowledge no God but me,
    no Savior except me.
5 I cared for you in the wilderness,
    in the land of burning heat.
6 When I fed them, they were satisfied;
    when they were satisfied, they became proud;
    then they forgot me.
7 So I will be like a lion to them,
    like a leopard I will lurk by the path.
8 Like a bear robbed of her cubs,
    I will attack them and rip them open;
like a lion I will devour them—
    a wild animal will tear them apart.

9 “You are destroyed, Israel,
    because you are against me, against your helper.
10 Where is your king, that he may save you?
    Where are your rulers in all your towns,
of whom you said,
    ‘Give me a king and princes’?
11 So in my anger I gave you a king,
    and in my wrath I took him away.
12 The guilt of Ephraim is stored up,
    his sins are kept on record.
13 Pains as of a woman in childbirth come to him,
    but he is a child without wisdom;
when the time arrives,
    he doesn’t have the sense to come out of the womb.

14 “I will deliver this people from the power of the grave;
    I will redeem them from death.
Where, O death, are your plagues?
    Where, O grave, is your destruction?

“I will have no compassion,
15     even though he thrives among his brothers.
An east wind from the Lord will come,
    blowing in from the desert;
his spring will fail
    and his well dry up.
His storehouse will be plundered
    of all its treasures.
16 The people of Samaria must bear their guilt,
    because they have rebelled against their God.
They will fall by the sword;
    their little ones will be dashed to the ground,
    their pregnant women ripped open.”

Observation:

Hosea continues to speak of Israel’s unfaithfulness and continual turning away from God. “But I have been the Lord your God ever since you came out of Egypt. You shall acknowledge no God but me, no Savior except me.” (Hosea 13:4)

Application:

There is only one God, The Lord Almighty, there is only one Savior, The Lord Jesus Christ. This has been revealed through the prophets and by The Holy Spirit. What keeps us from being a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ. Remember the Lord, our God daily and have no other God but the one True God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Prayer:

O Lord, keep us from placing anyone or anything above you. For you alone are God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Help us as your children to keep short accounts with you, that we may always acknowledge your Lordship and willfully follow you daily. Amen.

Day 54 - Februay 23, 2025

Scripture: Hosea 11:12 -12:14

Israel’s Sin

12 Ephraim has surrounded me with lies,
    Israel with deceit.
And Judah is unruly against God,
    even against the faithful Holy One.

12 1 Ephraim feeds on the wind;
    he pursues the east wind all day
    and multiplies lies and violence.
He makes a treaty with Assyria
    and sends olive oil to Egypt.
2 The Lord has a charge to bring against Judah;
    he will punish Jacob according to his ways
    and repay him according to his deeds.
3 In the womb he grasped his brother’s heel;
    as a man he struggled with God.
4 He struggled with the angel and overcame him;
    he wept and begged for his favor.
He found him at Bethel
    and talked with him there—
5 the Lord God Almighty,
    the Lord is his name!
6 But you must return to your God;
    maintain love and justice,
    and wait for your God always.

7 The merchant uses dishonest scales
    and loves to defraud.
8 Ephraim boasts,
    “I am very rich; I have become wealthy.
With all my wealth they will not find in me
    any iniquity or sin.”

9 “I have been the Lord your God
    ever since you came out of Egypt;
I will make you live in tents again,
    as in the days of your appointed festivals.
10 I spoke to the prophets,
    gave them many visions
    and told parables through them.”

11 Is Gilead wicked?
    Its people are worthless!
Do they sacrifice bulls in Gilgal?
    Their altars will be like piles of stones
    on a plowed field.
12 Jacob fled to the country of Aram;
    Israel served to get a wife,
    and to pay for her he tended sheep.
13 The Lord used a prophet to bring Israel up from Egypt,
    by a prophet he cared for him.
14 But Ephraim has aroused his bitter anger;
    his Lord will leave on him the guilt of his bloodshed
    and will repay him for his contempt.

Observation:

Hosea continues to warn God’s people who continue to sin against God, the Holy One.

“I spoke to the prophets, gave them many visions   and told parables through them.” (Hosea 12:10)

Application:

Do not sin against God. Do not turn on the one who has redeemed you.

Prayer:

Lord, help us as your children to remain in steadfast love of you. Help us to show our gratitude by listening to you every day. Do not let us turn away from you, but to seek you first everyday. Amen.

Day 53 - February 22, 2025

Scripture: Hosea 11:1-11

God’s Love for Israel

11 “When Israel was a child, I loved him,
    and out of Egypt I called my son.
2 But the more they were called,
    the more they went away from me.
They sacrificed to the Baals
    and they burned incense to images.
3 It was I who taught Ephraim to walk,
    taking them by the arms;
but they did not realize
    it was I who healed them.
4 I led them with cords of human kindness,
    with ties of love.
To them I was like one who lifts
    a little child to the cheek,
    and I bent down to feed them.

5 “Will they not return to Egypt
    and will not Assyria rule over them
    because they refuse to repent?
6 A sword will flash in their cities;
    it will devour their false prophets
    and put an end to their plans.
7 My people are determined to turn from me.
    Even though they call me God Most High,
    I will by no means exalt them.

8 “How can I give you up, Ephraim?
    How can I hand you over, Israel?
How can I treat you like Admah?
    How can I make you like Zeboyim?
My heart is changed within me;
    all my compassion is aroused.
9 I will not carry out my fierce anger,
    nor will I devastate Ephraim again.
For I am God, and not a man—
    the Holy One among you.
    I will not come against their cities.
10 They will follow the Lord;
    he will roar like a lion.
When he roars,
    his children will come trembling from the west.
11 They will come from Egypt,
    trembling like sparrows,
    from Assyria, fluttering like doves.
I will settle them in their homes,”
    declares the Lord.

Observation:

Although God treated Israel with love and compassion, they still turned away from God and looked to lesser gods, not gods at all but objects of their own creation. Yet God so loves Israel that he will still show them compassion. “How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel?
How can I treat you like Admah? How can I make you like Zeboyim? My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused. I will not carry out my fierce anger, nor will I devastate Ephraim again. For I am God, and not a man- he Holy One among you. I will not come against their cities. They will follow the Lord; he will roar like a lion. When he roars, his children will come trembling from the west.” (Hosea 11:8-10)

Application:

The prophet Hosea continues to state that God’s chosen people have continually turned their backs on God and have followed other gods, which are not gods but objects of their own making. We can be that way as well. We can prioritize things, places, and people in our lives and hold them higher than our God who gives us life. Our God wants us to seek him first, his kingdom and his righteousness and everything else will be added unto us as well. (Matthew 6:33)

Prayer:

Dear Lord, help us as your reconciled children to always seek you first. Help us not to turn away from you, even a little. Help us to be guided by Your Word that brings us life everlasting. Help us to concede our will to your will for our lives, for you are the way, the truth and the life! Amen.

Day 52 - February 21, 2025

Scripture: Hosea 9:15-10:15

“Because of all their wickedness in Gilgal,
    I hated them there.
Because of their sinful deeds,
    I will drive them out of my house.
I will no longer love them;
    all their leaders are rebellious.
16 Ephraim is blighted,
    their root is withered,
    they yield no fruit.
Even if they bear children,
    I will slay their cherished offspring.”

17 My God will reject them
    because they have not obeyed him;
    they will be wanderers among the nations.

10 Israel was a spreading vine;
    he brought forth fruit for himself.
As his fruit increased,
    he built more altars;
as his land prospered,
    he adorned his sacred stones.
2 Their heart is deceitful,
    and now they must bear their guilt.
The Lord will demolish their altars
    and destroy their sacred stones.

3 Then they will say, “We have no king
    because we did not revere the Lord.
But even if we had a king,
    what could he do for us?”
4 They make many promises,
    take false oaths
    and make agreements;
therefore lawsuits spring up
    like poisonous weeds in a plowed field.
5 The people who live in Samaria fear
    for the calf-idol of Beth Aven.
Its people will mourn over it,
    and so will its idolatrous priests,
those who had rejoiced over its splendor,
    because it is taken from them into exile.
6 It will be carried to Assyria
    as tribute for the great king.
Ephraim will be disgraced;
    Israel will be ashamed of its foreign alliances.
7 Samaria’s king will be destroyed,
    swept away like a twig on the surface of the waters.
8 The high places of wickedness will be destroyed—
    it is the sin of Israel.
Thorns and thistles will grow up
    and cover their altars.
Then they will say to the mountains, “Cover us!”
    and to the hills, “Fall on us!”

9 “Since the days of Gibeah, you have sinned, Israel,
    and there you have remained.
Will not war again overtake
    the evildoers in Gibeah?
10 When I please, I will punish them;
    nations will be gathered against them
    to put them in bonds for their double sin.
11 Ephraim is a trained heifer
    that loves to thresh;
so I will put a yoke
    on her fair neck.
I will drive Ephraim,
    Judah must plow,
    and Jacob must break up the ground.
12 Sow righteousness for yourselves,
    reap the fruit of unfailing love,
and break up your unplowed ground;
    for it is time to seek the Lord,
until he comes
    and showers his righteousness on you.
13 But you have planted wickedness,
    you have reaped evil,
    you have eaten the fruit of deception.
Because you have depended on your own strength
    and on your many warriors,
14 the roar of battle will rise against your people,
    so that all your fortresses will be devastated—
as Shalman devastated Beth Arbel on the day of battle,
    when mothers were dashed to the ground with their children.
15 So will it happen to you, Bethel,
    because your wickedness is great.
When that day dawns,
    the king of Israel will be completely destroyed.

Observation:

Hosea continues to describe the unfaithfulness of God’s people, he continues to warn of the impending judgement because of their constantly sinful ways, yet there is hope in God’s word spoken through Hosea.

“Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love,
and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes
and showers his righteousness on you.” (Hosea 10:12)

Application:

The time to seek the Lord is now for we can never make it on our own righteousness, but God showers his own righteousness upon us as we seek God and choose to do his will for our lives.

Prayer:

O Lord, our sin is ever before us for we have all gone astray and have turned our backs on your righteousness and your unfailing love. Help us to seek your will for our lives, receive the righteousness that you pour out through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Help us to walk in your ways as your faithful children. Amen.

Day 51 - February 20, 2025

Scripture: Hosea 9:1-14

Punishment for Israel

9 Do not rejoice, Israel;
    do not be jubilant like the other nations.
For you have been unfaithful to your God;
    you love the wages of a prostitute
    at every threshing floor.
2 Threshing floors and winepresses will not feed the people;
    the new wine will fail them.
3 They will not remain in the Lord’s land;
    Ephraim will return to Egypt
    and eat unclean food in Assyria.
4 They will not pour out wine offerings to the Lord,
    nor will their sacrifices please him.
Such sacrifices will be to them like the bread of mourners;
    all who eat them will be unclean.
This food will be for themselves;
    it will not come into the temple of the Lord.

5 What will you do on the day of your appointed festivals,
    on the feast days of the Lord?
6 Even if they escape from destruction,
    Egypt will gather them,
    and Memphis will bury them.
Their treasures of silver will be taken over by briers,
    and thorns will overrun their tents.
7 The days of punishment are coming,
    the days of reckoning are at hand.
    Let Israel know this.
Because your sins are so many
    and your hostility so great,
the prophet is considered a fool,
    the inspired person a maniac.
8 The prophet, along with my God,
    is the watchman over Ephraim,
yet snares await him on all his paths,
    and hostility in the house of his God.
9 They have sunk deep into corruption,
    as in the days of Gibeah.
God will remember their wickedness
    and punish them for their sins.

10 “When I found Israel,
    it was like finding grapes in the desert;
when I saw your ancestors,
    it was like seeing the early fruit on the fig tree.
But when they came to Baal Peor,
    they consecrated themselves to that shameful idol
    and became as vile as the thing they loved.
11 Ephraim’s glory will fly away like a bird—
    no birth, no pregnancy, no conception.
12 Even if they rear children,
    I will bereave them of every one.
Woe to them
    when I turn away from them!
13 I have seen Ephraim, like Tyre,
    planted in a pleasant place.
But Ephraim will bring out
    their children to the slayer.”

14 Give them, Lord—
    what will you give them?
Give them wombs that miscarry
    and breasts that are dry.

Observation:

The prophet is sent by God to warn God’s people of their impending judgement. Yet the prophet is rejected by the people of whom the prophet is sent to warn.

“The days of punishment are coming, the days of reckoning are at hand. Let Israel know this. Because your sins are so many and your hostility so great, the prophet is considered a fool, the inspired person a maniac. The prophet, along with my God, is the watchman over Ephraim, yet snares await him on all his paths, and hostility in the house of his God.” (Hosea 9:7-8)

Application:

Do not reject the Word of the Lord, and do not reject his prophets, those who speak truth in love. For the prophet is sent to warn God’s people so that they might turn away from their evil ways and ideas. Do not despise the messenger of God who brings warnings along with the good news of God. Jesus would often say, “Those who have ears, let them hear.”

Prayer:

O Lord, help us as your people to have ears to hear and a heart that is willing to turn away from our evil desires and turn back towards you. help us to head the words of the prophets and your spoken word which leads to life everlasting. Restore us as your people that we may follow you, the author and perfector of our lives. Amen.

Day 50 - February 19, 2025

Scripture: Hosea 8:1–14

Israel to Reap the Whirlwind

8 “Put the trumpet to your lips!
    An eagle is over the house of the Lord
because the people have broken my covenant
    and rebelled against my law.
2 Israel cries out to me,
    ‘Our God, we acknowledge you!’
3 But Israel has rejected what is good;
    an enemy will pursue him.
4 They set up kings without my consent;
    they choose princes without my approval.
With their silver and gold
    they make idols for themselves
    to their own destruction.
5 Samaria, throw out your calf-idol!
    My anger burns against them.
How long will they be incapable of purity?
6     They are from Israel!
This calf—a metalworker has made it;
    it is not God.
It will be broken in pieces,
    that calf of Samaria.

7 “They sow the wind
    and reap the whirlwind.
The stalk has no head;
    it will produce no flour.
Were it to yield grain,
    foreigners would swallow it up.
8 Israel is swallowed up;
    now she is among the nations
    like something no one wants.
9 For they have gone up to Assyria
    like a wild donkey wandering alone.
    Ephraim has sold herself to lovers.
10 Although they have sold themselves among the nations,
    I will now gather them together.
They will begin to waste away
    under the oppression of the mighty king.

11 “Though Ephraim built many altars for sin offerings,
    these have become altars for sinning.
12 I wrote for them the many things of my law,
    but they regarded them as something foreign.
13 Though they offer sacrifices as gifts to me,
    and though they eat the meat,
    the Lord is not pleased with them.
Now he will remember their wickedness
    and punish their sins:
    They will return to Egypt.
14 Israel has forgotten their Maker
    and built palaces;
    Judah has fortified many towns.
But I will send fire on their cities
    that will consume their fortresses.”

Observation:

“ I wrote for them the many things of my law,
    but they regarded them as something foreign.” (Hosea 8:12)

Application:

Hosea warns the people of Israel and Judah that they need to repent and return to the teachings of God. We like Israel and Judah often ignore God’s word as though it were foreign and strange. We need to repent and return to our Lord’s teachings. We need to incorporate the Lord’s teachings into our hearts and lives. We need not to build altars to the gods we make for ourselves, for they are not gods and they can not help us. Repent and return to the Lord’s ways and ordinances for God alone is God and there is no other..

Prayer:

Lord God, forgive us of our waywardness. Help us to embrace your instructions for our lives. Help us to repent of any sin in our hearts and minds and help us to return to your ways, for you alone are God and ther is no other. Bless us to be your people who love you, listen to you, and bring you joy. Amen.

Day 49 - February 18, 2025

Scripture: Hosea 6:1-7:2

Israel Unrepentant

6 “Come, let us return to the Lord.
He has torn us to pieces
    but he will heal us;
he has injured us
    but he will bind up our wounds.
2 After two days he will revive us;
    on the third day he will restore us,
    that we may live in his presence.
3 Let us acknowledge the Lord;
    let us press on to acknowledge him.
As surely as the sun rises,
    he will appear;
he will come to us like the winter rains,
    like the spring rains that water the earth.”

4 “What can I do with you, Ephraim?
    What can I do with you, Judah?
Your love is like the morning mist,
    like the early dew that disappears.
5 Therefore I cut you in pieces with my prophets,
    I killed you with the words of my mouth—
    then my judgments go forth like the sun.
6 For I desire mercy, not sacrifice,
    and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.
7 As at Adam, they have broken the covenant;
    they were unfaithful to me there.
8 Gilead is a city of evildoers,
    stained with footprints of blood.
9 As marauders lie in ambush for a victim,
    so do bands of priests;
they murder on the road to Shechem,
    carrying out their wicked schemes.
10 I have seen a horrible thing in Israel:
    There Ephraim is given to prostitution,
    Israel is defiled.

11 “Also for you, Judah,
    a harvest is appointed.

“Whenever I would restore the fortunes of my people,

7 1 whenever I would heal Israel,
the sins of Ephraim are exposed
    and the crimes of Samaria revealed.
They practice deceit,
    thieves break into houses,
    bandits rob in the streets;
2 but they do not realize
    that I remember all their evil deeds.
Their sins engulf them;
    they are always before me.

Observation:

“For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.” (Hosea 6:6) As unrepentant as Israel was, God tells his people that he is not looking for sacrifices but for acknowledgement that He is God. He wants a forever relationship with his people, but they continue to turn away in sinfulness and deceit. But they only fool themselves for their evil deeds are ever before God.

Application:

The thought that God knows my every deed and every motive frightened me, because I knew that I was unworthy of God’s love. However, as I read and understand God’s Word, I realize that God is looking for me to repent of any evil within me so that i might be restored and reconciled. God desires my love and devotion and wants me to be in a righteous forever relationship with God. So repent and receive God’s soothing restoration and love.

Prayer:

Lord God, your word reveals to us that we have all fallen short of your love and your glory. Your word also reveals that you desire to forgive and restore us to a righteous relationship that acknowledges you as our Loving Lord. Help us as your children, redeemed by the blood of the lamb, to walk with you in righteousness, acknowledging your love and forgiveness. Amen.

Day 48 - February 17, 2025

Scripture: Hosea 4:4–19

4 “But let no one bring a charge,
    let no one accuse another,
for your people are like those
    who bring charges against a priest.
5 You stumble day and night,
    and the prophets stumble with you.
So I will destroy your mother—
6     my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.

“Because you have rejected knowledge,
    I also reject you as my priests;
because you have ignored the law of your God,
    I also will ignore your children.
7 The more priests there were,
    the more they sinned against me;
    they exchanged their glorious God for something disgraceful.
8 They feed on the sins of my people
    and relish their wickedness.
9 And it will be: Like people, like priests.
    I will punish both of them for their ways
    and repay them for their deeds.

10 “They will eat but not have enough;
    they will engage in prostitution but not flourish,
because they have deserted the Lord
    to give themselves 11 to prostitution;
old wine and new wine
    take away their understanding.
12 My people consult a wooden idol,
    and a diviner’s rod speaks to them.
A spirit of prostitution leads them astray;
    they are unfaithful to their God.
13 They sacrifice on the mountaintops
    and burn offerings on the hills,
under oak, poplar and terebinth,
    where the shade is pleasant.
Therefore your daughters turn to prostitution
    and your daughters-in-law to adultery.

14 “I will not punish your daughters
    when they turn to prostitution,
nor your daughters-in-law
    when they commit adultery,
because the men themselves consort with harlots
    and sacrifice with shrine prostitutes—
    a people without understanding will come to ruin!

15 “Though you, Israel, commit adultery,
    do not let Judah become guilty.

“Do not go to Gilgal;
    do not go up to Beth Aven.
    And do not swear, ‘As surely as the Lord lives!’
16 The Israelites are stubborn,
    like a stubborn heifer.
How then can the Lord pasture them
    like lambs in a meadow?
17 Ephraim is joined to idols;
    leave him alone!
18 Even when their drinks are gone,
    they continue their prostitution;
    their rulers dearly love shameful ways.
19 A whirlwind will sweep them away,
    and their sacrifices will bring them shame.

Observation:

Hosea continues to speak for God concerning the people of Israel’s waywardness. God says,: They will eat but not have enough; they will engage in prostitution but not flourish, because they have deserted the Lord to give themselves to prostitution; old wine and new wine take away their understanding.
My people consult a wooden idol, and a diviner’s rod speaks to them. A spirit of prostitution leads them astray; they are unfaithful to their God.” (Hosea 4:10-12)

Application:

Our Lord is not willing for us to have any other gods but the One True God. Hosea speaks of diving rods and wooden idols that the people of Israel have turned to. He speaks of unfaithful sexual relations as another god for God gave us sexuality to be used in faithful marital relationships - to be fruitful and multiply and to fill the earth. But we use sexuality as entertainment which in God’s eyes is worshipping other gods.

Prayer:

Dear Lord, thank you for these sobering words from the prophet Hosea which exposes the gods that we find ourselves worshipping. We have been unfaithful to you our Holy God who is all good and worthy of all of our love and worship. Allow these words from Hosea to sink down deep into our thoughts, minds, and souls to help us worship and follow only you. For you are God alone, and there is no other. Amen.

Day 47 - February 16, 2025

Scripture: Hosea 3:1-4:3

Hosea’s Reconciliation With His Wife

3 The Lord said to me, “Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an adulteress. Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes.”

2 So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and about a homer and a lethek of barley. 3 Then I told her, “You are to live with me many days; you must not be a prostitute or be intimate with any man, and I will behave the same way toward you.”

4 For the Israelites will live many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred stones, without ephod or household gods. 5 Afterward the Israelites will return and seek the Lord their God and David their king. They will come trembling to the Lord and to his blessings in the last days.

The Charge Against Israel

4 Hear the word of the Lord, you Israelites,
    because the Lord has a charge to bring
    against you who live in the land:
“There is no faithfulness, no love,
    no acknowledgment of God in the land.
2 There is only cursing, lying and murder,
    stealing and adultery;
they break all bounds,
    and bloodshed follows bloodshed.
3 Because of this the land dries up,
    and all who live in it waste away;
the beasts of the field, the birds in the sky
    and the fish in the sea are swept away.

Observation:

Hosea is instructed to love his unfaithful wife to demonstrate how God loves the adulterous and unfaithful Israel. “The Lord said to me, ‘Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an adulteress. Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes.’” (Hosea 3:1)

Application:

The nation of Israel was unfaithful to God, worshipping other gods who were not God. So too, we can be unfaithful to our God, allowing other things to crowd out our devotion to God. Yet, as the prophet Hosea demonstrated God’s unconditional love, we are reminded that God loves us even when we have not loveable. Therefore, we should be ever thankful to our God who wants us to be in a forever loving relationship with our God.

Prayer:

Lord, the truth is that we have all fallen short of your glory, yet you desire us to receive your forgiveness and grace. You desire us to grow into the grace that you have provided for us that we may also be extenders of your grace to a world that is not worthy of our grace. But, because you showed us your love and your grace, we also as forgiven and reconciled children of the Living Lord, should show love and grace to those who do not deserve it. Help us to live into your grace and love by using that grace to reach other souls to your care. Amen.