WHAT AM I TO DO WITH YOU?
Hosea 6:4, 6
" 'O Ephriam, what shall I do with you? O Judah, what shall I do with you? For your faithfulness is like a morning cloud, and like the early dew it goes away .... For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.' "
I can hear a parent, frustrated by a misbehaving child, saying, "What am I going to do with you?" The parent loves the kid too much to kill him, but is disappointed when the child messes up. Israel and Judah were those children, who's love for God was so fickle. They thought as long as they went to church, made their sacrifices, and did the religious thing that they were good with God and could mess around with other gods. God desires more than the outward show of religion that has no heart for God. A truly devout heart understands the meaning of mercy. Jesus illustrated this. He had just called Matthew – a sinner – to follow Him, and that rankled the Pharisees who prided themselves on their religiosity. Jesus said to them, "Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.' For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance' " (Matthew 9:9-13). People who know how much they have sinned against God understand God's mercy of forgiveness. Thank You, Lord God, for your great mercy to me, the chief of sinners (I Timothy 1:15).
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: God desires a people who understand how much they have been forgiven (that's mercy) rather than people who just go through the sanctimonious motions of religion, but whose hearts are far from Him.
[end]
Have a merciful day. Love you.
Hosea 6:4, 6
" 'O Ephriam, what shall I do with you? O Judah, what shall I do with you? For your faithfulness is like a morning cloud, and like the early dew it goes away .... For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.' "
I can hear a parent, frustrated by a misbehaving child, saying, "What am I going to do with you?" The parent loves the kid too much to kill him, but is disappointed when the child messes up. Israel and Judah were those children, who's love for God was so fickle. They thought as long as they went to church, made their sacrifices, and did the religious thing that they were good with God and could mess around with other gods. God desires more than the outward show of religion that has no heart for God. A truly devout heart understands the meaning of mercy. Jesus illustrated this. He had just called Matthew – a sinner – to follow Him, and that rankled the Pharisees who prided themselves on their religiosity. Jesus said to them, "Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.' For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance' " (Matthew 9:9-13). People who know how much they have sinned against God understand God's mercy of forgiveness. Thank You, Lord God, for your great mercy to me, the chief of sinners (I Timothy 1:15).
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: God desires a people who understand how much they have been forgiven (that's mercy) rather than people who just go through the sanctimonious motions of religion, but whose hearts are far from Him.
[end]
Have a merciful day. Love you.
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