THURSDAY 8-1-13 ~ Hosea 6:8-11 ~ Gilead is a city of wicked men, stained with footprints of blood. As marauders lie in ambush for a man, so do bands of priests; they murder them on the road to Shechem, committing shameful crimes. I have seen a horrible thing in the house of Israel. The Ephraim is given to prostitution and Israel is defiled. Also for you, Judah , a harvest is appointed. STUDY BIBLE: Gilead was once a sacred place, but here it was corrupt. Shechem was once a city of refuge designated by Joshua (Joshua 20:1, 2, 7, 8); Gilead was a region that included Ramoth, also a city of refuge. At this time these areas were associated with murder & crime, with bands of evil priests lying in wait to murder travelers passing through their territory. So that Judah would not become proud as they saw the northern kingdom’s destruction, Hosea interjected a solemn warning about God’s “harvest.” God’s temple was in Judah (Jerusalem), & people thought what happened in Israel could never happen to them. But when they had become utterly corrupt, they too were lead off into captivity (2 Kings 25). THOUGHTS: We too should be worried about the “harvest” of our corrupt lives, our rebellion & disobedience to God from choices that have us living on the edge of satan’s darkness instead of in God’s light. America once was a country of “refuge” but now seems to be a country of ill repute & wickedness for those who wish to see this great nation become the same as those places we label as “God forsaken…” We have a “harvest appointed” us by God. It does not take rocket science to see our country (not just a city) is like that of Sodom or Gomorrah. Will today be the day when God says “enough is enough, Son go get my babies…”? Maybe, maybe not, but we are instructed to prepare, be patient & keep our eyes on the skies being watchful for this day. Jesus’ return is unknown but … it is promised & God fulfills His promises. One has to wonder how long will we have to wait? Be prepared, prepare your children & your families or become victims of His wrath. We prepare by asking His forgiveness of our wronga against God, for our pitiful, sin filled, self absorbed lives & allow Him to take up resident in our hearts. Then take that swan dive or cannonball off into that baptismal emerging as a new creation with a clean slate & an unquenchable thirst for His word & His ways as we apply to our lives what we learn from the study of His manual … referred to often as His “B”asic “I”nstructions “B”efore “L”eaving “E”arth. We know how the story ends. Stop straddling that fence of good vs. evil, get on the winning side, put on God’s armor & prepare to fight – the war rages daily between God & the evil one as they battle for us. Why would we want to make it harder on God by NOT joining His army? Change begins with us & creates a domino effect in the lives of those God has chosen to put in our path that day. Today Lord, let us seek change & with your help create a domino effect across this land… “One nation under God, with liberty & justice for all.” Amen…
Posted on: Thu, 01 Aug 2013 12:14:28 +0000