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Christian Devotional – November 4, 2014
Read Hosea chapter 14 VERSE: Hosea 14:4–I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them. TRUTH: As the people chose to repent and return to God, He promised to heal them and love them. When we acknowledge our sin and return to Him, God returns to us and restores us. As we are returning to Him, He will restore us. Are we willing to repent? He will heal us and love us. RESPONSE: Father, I need Your love and healing in my life. I will return to You. I will turn over the areas of my life I have been holding on…
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Christian Devotional – November 2, 2014
Read Hosea chapter 12 VERSE: Hosea 12:8–Ephraim boasts, “I am very rich. I have become wealthy. With all my wealth they will not find in me any iniquity or sin.” TRUTH: Ephraim assumed that because they were wealthy, they were immune to the effects of sin. They felt they were immune even to sin itself. However, nothing will keep us from experiencing the results of our sin except Jesus Christ. What do we trust in today? Do we trust in riches? Do we trust in power or position? Only Jesus Christ saves! RESPONSE: Father, nothing I have or could do on my own will save me. Only You save me…
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Christian Devotional – November 1, 2014
Read Hosea chapter 11 VERSE: Hosea 11:4–I led them with cords of human kindness, with tons of love. To them I was like one who lifts a little child to the cheek, and I bent down to feed them. TRUTH: God leads us with love and tenderness. He is truly a father to us in a way that a father is supposed to be. He loves us and tenderly leads us in the direction that we should go. If we persist in disobedience, then he must discipline us, but it is designed to bring us back to Him and restore us to Him. Are we allowing God to tenderly lead…
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Christian Devotional – October 31, 2014
Read Hosea chapter 10 VERSE: Hosea 10:12–Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break p your unplowed ground, for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you. TRUTH: In the midst of an entire chapter about the evil consequences of their sin, God gives Israel this reminder. We reap what we sow. God tells us to sow righteousness. He promises that if we will sow righteousness then we will reap a harvest of unfailing love that will help us to reach even more ground with righteousness and unfailing love. What are we sowing today? We will reap what…
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Christian Devotional – October 30, 2014
Read Hosea chapter 9 VERSE: Hosea 9:17–My God will reject them because they have not obeyed him; they will be wanderers among the nations. TRUTH: The people of Israel had turned away from God. They had called themselves the children of God, yet they had rejected God. Since the people rejected God, God was rejecting them. Our obedience to God is a demonstration of our love for Him. If we are not obeying Him, then we do not love Him. Do we love and obey God? Or, have we lost our identity and become wanderers through life? RESPONSE: Father, You are my God and I love You. I will obey…
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Christian Devotional – October 29, 2014
Read Hosea chapter 8 VERSE: Hosea 8:4–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. TRUTH: As God was listing the sins the people had committed, He indicates that they had chosen leaders and rulers without consulting God. It is so important to make sure that if we have the opportunity to help choose leadership in our country or anywhere, that we will take the time to pray and ask God how He would have us vote or appoint leadership. May God never say of us that we chose leadership for ourselves without…
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Christian Devotional – October 28, 2014
Read Hosea chapter 7 VERSE: Hosea 7:10–Israel’s arrogance testifies against him, but despite all this he does not return to the Lord his God or search for him. TRUTH: Arrogance and pride are two sins that are difficult to repent of. This isn’t because God can’t forgive them; He can and He will. This is because it requires us to humble ourselves, admit we were wrong and repent to God. In arrogance, we often refuse to admit we’ve done anything wrong. Like Israel, we do not return to God. Don’t let arrogance keep us from returning to God. We are all sinners and the sooner we admit that, the sooner…
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Christian Devotional – October 27, 2014
Read Hosea chapter 6 VERSE: Hosea 6:6–For I desire mercy not sacrifice and acknowledgement of God rather than burnt offerings. TRUTH: God desires our hearts, not just our actions. We can go through the motions of loving God, but God sees our heart and knows our motives. They “why” behind what we do every day matters to God more than the “what” of our actions. Do we seek after God and His heart? Acknowledging Him and desiring a relationship with Him are the attitudes that lead us to genuine obedience in our actions. RESPONSE: Father, give me a heart that seeks You. I want my actions to simply be a…
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Christian Devotional – October 26, 2014
Read Hosea chapter 5 VERSE: Hosea 5:13–When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his sores, then Ephraim turned to Assyria, and sent to the great king for help. But he is not able to cure you, not able to heal your sores. TRUTH: Who do we turn to when we are struggling and going through difficult times? For these people, they were going to anyone and everyone except God. Do we seek God in the midst of our difficulties? Or, are we instead turning to everything else that the world offers? God is the only one who is able to save and to restore. Run to Him! RESPONSE: Father,…
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Christian Devotional – October 25, 2014
Read Hosea chapter 4 VERSE: Hosea 4:1–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 acknowledgement of God in the land.” TRUTH: God was telling the people that they had completely left God. They lived in the land that god had promised them, but they weren’t faithful to God. They had no love for God and they didn’t even acknowledge God as being in the land. Because of this, they were headed toward disaster and judgment. Do we acknowledge God and His working and moving in our lives? More…