Living for God’s Glory, Day 8 Do our creations fulfill their purpose? Read Hosea chapter 8. The people built altars with the original intent of worshipping God. They built these altars so they could bring sin offerings and sacrifices to glorify God. However, these very creations were now being used as a way to sin against God by worshipping other things. Look around our lives at the things we have built or created. Do we use those things for the originally intended purpose? If our desire is to glorify God, is everything in our life being built around that desire to glorify him? Or, are we repurposing some things in…

Living for God’s Glory, Day 7 Arrogance, what does it lead to? Read Hosea chapter 7. It’s one thing to be confronted with the things that we are doing wrong. It’s another thing to be confronted with them but choose to not do anything different. The people of Israel were acting sinfully and arrogantly. However, even though they were being shown that, they refuse to make any change or turn back to God. Are we recognizing when we are sinful and do we make changes based upon what we learn? Are we allowing God to influence what we do so that we learn and grow? God wants to change us,…

Living for God’s Glory, Day 6 God brings conviction and then healing. Read Hosea chapter 6. Throughout this book, we have seen the people of Israel doing things they should not be doing. Part of what Hosea was trying to convey to them with God’s message is that they are wrong and they need to repent. Unfortunately, sometimes God has to bring a measure of judgment to people before they are ready to accept his forgiveness. In this case, the people realize they need to return to him because God will restore them even as he has been bringing judgment on them. Sometimes the difficult things we are going through…

Living for God’s Glory, Day 5 When God withdraws. Read Hosea chapter 5. When we see the people of Israel in this chapter, they have continued to reject God. As a result, God is withdrawing from them. Now the people are starting to realize what they have lost. If we reject God, he will often allow us to experience the consequences of that decision. When God withdraws, he is not protecting us any longer, but allowing us to experience the consequences of our actions. Are we seeking God today?

Living for God’s Glory, Day 4 Adding more religion doesn’t mean adding more glory to God. Read Hosea chapter 4. As God continued to share his message with the people, we see that the people were in fact doing religious type things. They were making up their own religiousness, but more and more people were being considered religious. However, just adding more religious things does not mean God gets the glory. As we see here, the people were trading God’s glory for their religious practices. Yes, they were doing more religious things, but they were further than ever from the glory of God because of what they were doing. We…

Living for God’s Glory, Day 3 Return to the Lord. Read Hosea chapter 3. As we read through this chapter, we see Hosea going after his wife. He is willing to seek her out and find her and bring her back and love her again. This is the example that God uses to explain how his love for us works. Even though we are sinful and we do terrible things, God seeks us out and finds us and brings us back and loves us. Are we allowing ourselves to be found by God? Are we returning to him and loving him?

Living for God’s Glory, Day 2 God’s unfailing love. Read Hosea chapter 2. God continues to use Hosea and his family situation as a way to demonstrate and explain the relationship that Israel has with God right now. Even though Israel was running around and being adulterous with other gods, God explains that he did what he needed to do in order to make sure that she comes back to him. Israel was sinful, just like Hosea’s wife, but God restored her. God explain just how much he loves Israel and as a result, he did what he needed to in order to be able to show her that love.…

Living for God’s Glory, Day 1 When God says no. Read Hosea chapter 1. The life of Hosea has always been a reminder that God is about His glory, not our comfort. Reading his story is always a fresh reminder that our focus must be solely on God and His purpose and glory, not on our comfort. Reading this first chapter, we see how God used Hosea’s life, marriage, and kids as a way to try and get the attention of those who have forsaken God. God uses these as examples to help the people return their focus to him. What does God use in our lives to help keep…