June 27
Hosea 9:1-14:9
"My Heart, Christ's Home" is a small booklet written years ago by Robert Munger. It is a very convicting piece of literature which really directs us to ask ourselves, what parts of our life are we willing to give up to God, and which parts do we want to retain for ourselves. Do we really want to change? Politically, is our true desire a theocracy with Jesus on the throne, or is our desire for a man to fulfill the desires of our own hearts. Divided loyalties, we really need to spend some time evaluating ourselves, and we must be willing to come clean before God. We read in James 1:5-8, "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."
The prophets, speaking forth that which God gave them to say, did not hold back or soften their message. We read in Hosea 10:2, "Their heart is divided; Now they are held guilty. He will break down their altars; He will ruin their sacred pillars." They, like us, failed to avail to God their whole hearts. Holding onto whatever seemed so important they had divided hearts. The prophet goes on with God's indictment in 10:12-13, "Sow for yourselves righteousness; Reap in mercy; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the Lord, Till He comes and rains righteousness on you. You have plowed wickedness; You have reaped iniquity. You have eaten the fruit of lies, Because you trusted in your own way, In the magnitude of your mighty men." We must ask: is it our way or God's way in our heart. We must remember that a half-truth is not partially true, but a lie. Consider the words in 11:7, "My people are bent on backsliding from Me. Though they call to the Most High, None at all exalt Him."
Notice, in Hosea 12:3-4, the prophet recounts the moment when Jacob, finally came to an end of himself. He spent his entire existence manipulating, until he actually wrestled with The Angel of the Lord, as we read, “Yes, he struggled with the Angel and prevailed; He wept, and sought favor from Him..." He finally recognized his own helplessness, and in his brokenness, he finally came to the place that God could render him usable. In the book of Jude, certain men, certain philosophies were allowed to creep in (Jude 1:4). What have we allowed to creep into our lives which have weakened our walk? Which things have we allowed to divide our loyalties? We read in Jude 1:21, "keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life." We need to walk with Him, obey Him, trust Him, give our all to Him, hold nothing back, then we can experience what God has called us to be in Him.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: