Sunday, September 21, 2014

God is There to Pick up the Pieces. Daniel 9-12; Hosea 1

May the mumbling commence!

We make mistakes.  We are human.  We sin.

But God is there to pick up the pieces.  God has saved us – not because of our worthiness but because of the sake of the Name of the Lord.  Read from Daniel chapter nine:

"O my God, listen to me and hear my request. Open your eyes and see our wretchedness. See how your city lies in ruins – for everyone knows that it is yours. We do not ask because we deserve help, but because you are so merciful
O Lord, hear. O Lord, forgive. O Lord, listen and act! For your own sake, O my God, do not delay, for your people and your city bear your name." (Verses 18-19)

God does see our wretchedness.  The Lord sees our wretchedness even better than we do.  Help us, O God, to see ourselves more clearly so that we might change.

Help us for the sake of Your Name.

Though we are wretched and give our love to others, help us for Your Name sake.  Help us to see the connection between our idolatry and our adultery.  Read from the first chapter of Hosea.

When the Lord first began speaking to Israel through Hosea, he said to him, "Go and marry a prostitute, so some of her children will be born to you from other men. This will illustrate the way my people have been untrue to me, openly committing adultery against the Lord by worshiping other gods.
So Hosea married Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, and she became pregnant and gave Hosea a son.  And the Lord said, "Name the child Jezreel, for I am about to punish King Jehu's dynasty to avenge the murders he committed at Jezreel.  In fact, I will put an end to Israel's independence by breaking its military power in the Jezreel Valley." 
Soon Gomer became pregnant again and gave birth to a daughter. And the Lord said to Hosea, "Name your daughter Lo-ruhamah – 'Not loved' – for I will no longer show love to the people of Israel or forgive them.  But I, the Lord their God, will show love to the people of Judah. I will personally free them from their enemies without any help from weapons or armies." 
After Gomer had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she again became pregnant and gave birth to a second son.  And the Lord said, "Name him Lo-ammi – ‘Not my people' – for Israel is not my people, and I am not their God. 
Yet the time will come when Israel will prosper and become a great nation. In that day its people will be like the sands of the seashore – too many to count! Then, at the place where they were told, 'You are not my people,' it will be said, 'You are children of the living God.'   Then the people of Judah and Israel will unite under one leader, and they will return from exile together. What a day that will be – the day of Jezreel – when God will again plant his people in his land.  (Verses 2-11)

Yes, we are the children of God.  All our fortune comes from God.  We are created to bring praise to the Name of the Lord.  Let’s worship God only.  No more idols!  No more adultery!

Help us, O Lord, for the sake of Your Name.
Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

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