Category Archives: Following

Accountability, Advice, Affliction, Battles, Bible, Contentment, Destruction, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Flesh, Following, Godliness, Holy Spirit, Judgment, Obedience, Repentance, Scripture

ON SECOND THOUGHT

HOSEA 2:7

“And she will pursue her lovers, but she will not reach them; and she will seek them, but will not find them. Then she will say, ‘I will go back to my first husband, because it was better for me then than now!’”

We often have second thoughts about things. We buy a car that we wish we hadn’t. We quit a job hastily. We do things sometimes that we regret. We wish we could go back and do it again. I’ve done that. You probably have, too. Am I right?

In this real life analogy of Gomer and Hosea and God and Israel, we see this. The verse is pretty clear. In Israel’s case, they were always turning from God and then when judgment fell, they would cry out for deliverance. They wanted to come home. Isn’t that just like us today?

APPLICATION

Why do we do that? Why do we turn from what we know to be truth? It’s our flesh. It is strong. Left to its on device, it will lead us down a path of destruction. It will lead us right over the cliff. The only way to combat that fleshly pull and tug is to wrap ourselves in the Word. The sword of the Spirit can defend us.

Now, before you say that is too hard, let me remind you that you are not doing this alone. Several years ago, I embarked on a new way to combat my flesh. Memorizing and meditating on the Word is the key. I never realized the power of memorizing Scripture in this spiritual battle we are in. Those verses I have memorized and meditate on daily protect me from my own flesh.

Aren’t you tired of running and returning? Aren’t you sick of the consequences of your sins? You will never be sinless this side of eternity, but you can pursue a holy life. As you chase after righteousness and godliness, He discloses more and more of Himself to you.

Father, I want more of You so I can stop this lure of the flesh. I want to die to myself and live for You.

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Accountability, Advice, Bible, Compassion, Destruction, Faithfulness, Following, Forgiveness, Infidelity, Judgment, Obedience, Punishment, Relationships, Scripture

ILLEGITIMATE

HOSEA 2:4

“Also, I will take no pity on her children, because they are children of infidelity.”

I have mentioned before that I worked over thirty years in children’s homes. Over these years I had the privilege to work with a lot of children who the world would call illegitimate. By that I mean, they were born out of wedlock. Their biological mother and father were not married. Early on in my ministry there was a lot more stigma attached to that. That’s really not the case now. In some ways that’s good, but it’s still not God’s design.

God knew (as did Hosea) that the children birthed by Gomer were probably not Hosea’s due to her infidelity. God used this extremely difficult human situation to portray to the nation of Israel that they were the same as Gomer. They had gone after other gods. They were being unfaithful to Him in the same way Gomer was to Hosea. As a result, children would suffer.

APPLICATION

We may not worship idols or other “gods,” but we are prone to be just as unfaithful. We worship our money, our careers, our churches, even our Pastors. We place them above our Lord way too often. We are no better than the Israelites. We are committing adultery with these “other gods.” We seek after them with more energy and zeal than we ever do after our God.

How do you not become a Gomer? By staying pure in heart. By seeking Him first in your heart. By staying faithful to Him. By…I could go on and on. Our pursuit of God is really not that complicated. We have to be laser focused. If anything gets in the way of that, it should be reprioritized. Hear me clearly. Nothing gets in the way of our relationship with Jesus.

What have you allowed to sneak in? What is disrupting your laser beam? Get it out the way. God has to come first, even before family or church. And when you put Him first, when you are faithful to Him, He will honor that. He will give you the strength and courage to do whatever is necessary to live for Him.

Keep me faithful to You and You only. Forgive me when I am not.

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Advocate, Affection, Bible, Compassion, Encouragement, Family, Following, Hugs, Inspirational, Patience, Relationships, Salvation, Scripture

WELCOME HOME

HOSEA 2:1

“Say to your brothers, ‘Ammi,’ and to your sisters, ‘Ruhamah.’”

Several years ago our daughter spent several months in Bomet, Kenya serving as a Social Worker at Tenwek Hospital. We had the opportunity to FaceTime with her, when the internet worked, but that was still not the same as being with her in the same room. As her parents, we longed to hold her and love on her. When the day came for her to arrive back home in the U.S., we were ecstatic. We made the trip to the airport and waited anxiously for her to appear in the international flights waiting area. We almost choked her hugging her so tight.

God is doing the same for His people in this verse. They had not been His people, and now He calls them His people (Ammi). They had been shown no mercy, and now He is showing them compassion (Ruhamah). He is essentially embracing them and welcoming them back home. That’s what He promises to all His lost children. He wants us home. He wants to hug us tightly.

APPLICATION

Have you been welcomed home? I hope so. At salvation, we move from lostness to a place of security. We whom have seen no mercy can now experience the love of a merciful God. If you haven’t experienced this, I pray today you will turn to Him and allow Him to pour over you.

Perhaps you have strayed from His embrace. You have allowed the worries of this world to encompass you. You are drowning in despair. Stop where you are and turn back towards the Father. He is waiting to call you His child once again. He is longing to embrace you and show you mercy. What are you waiting for?

Too many of us struggle needlessly when the Father is right there. We allow the world to blind us to the reality of His love. Don’t be foolish like the Israelites. Don’t wander in exile. Come home to Him today. Welcome home.

I long to be at home with You, O Lord. In Your arms is where I belong.

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Accountability, Affection, Bible, Choices, Condemnation, Faith, Following, God's Will, Hope, Obedience, Protection, Relationships, Scripture

YOU’RE NOT MINE

HOSEA 1:9

“And the LORD said, ‘Name him Lo-ammi, because you are not My people, and I am not your God.’”

I worked over thirty years in children’s homes ministries. Probably the saddest part of those years was when a biological mom or dad told their child they didn’t want them anymore. The hurt in the eyes of those children isn’t easy to forget. They felt thrown away and worthless. Our job at the children’s home was to love on them and bring them to Jesus. He would never leave them.

Through Hosea’s children, God was sending a message to Israel. This latest birth, a son, sent a harsh message to them. God said, “I am not your God.” Wow! After all the years of God directing them and protecting them, He had enough. He was done with their rebellion. He was no longer their Father. I wonder how the Israelites’ faces looked. Were they crushed like the children I dealt with? Or were they clueless of what they had done?

APPLICATION

As believers, we can never escape the presence of our God. He will never leave us. We have a covenant relationship with Him through Christ. We may choose to rebel and not walk as we should, but He will never leave us. Any separation between us and God is because we have moved, not Him.

Don’t you want to be closer to Him today? I do. I want to feel His embrace. I need to know He is there beside me each day. I do not want to face one second without Him. So, I spend time each day in His Word. I spend time each day talking to Him. I want to hear His voice. I want Him to hear mine. I can’t imagine hearing, “I am not your God.”

However, there are millions around us every day who don’t know our Savior. If they should die today, they would hear those words from God. How can we prevent that from happening? By taking the time to share with everyone around us. Tell others what He has done for you. Tell others of His love. Let them hear God say, “I love you. I am your God.”

Father in heaven, hear my cry today. I beg You for the lives of those around me. Send me to share with them the love You have for all.

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Advice, Advocate, Battles, Courage, Enemies, Following, God's Will, Modeling, Obedience, Protection, Safety, Scripture, Soldiers, Victors

NOT BY FORCE

HOSEA 1:7

“But I will take pity on the house of Judah and save them by the LORD their God, and will not save them by bow, sword, battle, horses, or horsemen.”

Sometimes we have to fight to defend ourselves. Our enemies are bent on destroying us. The United States has been at war with terrorism since 2001, twenty years. We have fought wars in Vietnam, Korea, all over Europe and on and on. Sometimes war is required to obtain peace.

But not in this situation. Hosea is prophesying about the coming defeat of Assyria at the hand of God. The Assyrian arm had come to defeat Judah while Hezekiah was king. Do you remember what happened? God defeated 185,000 troops in one night. Hezekiah didn’t lift one sword or bow. Not a single man in Judah fought. God did it.

APPLICATION

Now, let’s apply that. So many times we want to fight others when God simply wants us to sit back and let Him defend us. We are quick to snap back when reviled. We may even want to get physical when we have been harmed. We get testy in traffic. But God still fights our battles. One of my favorite verses now is Exodus 14:14. It reads, “The LORD will fight for you, while you keep silent.” Isn’t that great?

How do you do that? By biting your tongue? No, I think the Lord wants us to get silent in prayer. It’s really hard to be upset and mad at someone when you are praying for them. Those individuals may need Jesus, and if you retaliate you could drive them further away from Christ. They may be a believer who is not walking with Christ right now. Your job is preserve the peace.

So, what do you do when you are faced with a fight? You go to God. You talk to Him. You listen to what He says in His Word. You may very well have to defend yourself, but you do it in a way that still honors the Lord. He will give you the words to say and the actions to take. Remember it is His battle after all.

I will submit to Your guidance, O Lord, when I am faced by my enemies. I will trust Your battle plan.

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Accountability, Advice, Bible, Compassion, Direction, Encouragement, Faithfulness, Following, Mercy, Pity, Scripture

NO PITY

HOSEA 1:6

“Then she conceived again and gave birth to a daughter. And the LORD said to him, “Name her Lo-ruhamah, for I will no longer take pity on the house of Israel, that I would ever forgive them.” 

Have you ever had a pity party? The only trouble with those is you are the only one who shows up. Feeling sorry for yourself is one thing, but when others show no pity on you, that’s really sad. You have reached the breaking point of compassion from others due to your actions or your behavior. Receiving no pity is tough.

But when the Lord shows no pity, you’re in trouble. The Hebrew word for “take pity” can mean “show mercy” or “show compassion.” Now, think about that. What could drive the Lord to this point? Consistent rebellion and turning away by the nation of Israel. They knew the right way to live. Still, they turned away toward other gods. So, the Lord sent them a second message through the naming of Hosea’s daughter, Lo-ruhamah.

APPLICATION

Let me ask you something. Are you quick to show pity? Do you hurt for others when they are down? The Lord wants us to be merciful and show compassion. But there comes a time when doing that is actually harmful. We can enable others to continue in their bad behaviors and lifestyle. We really have to seek the Lord to know when to do that.

Perhaps you’re the one seeking pity. Can you dig deep and ask the Lord why you are asking for that from Him or others. Is your situation self-imposed or is from the Lord? Perhaps He has you in this season for a purpose. He is trying to teach you how to trust Him. You don’t need pity. You need insight from His Word. You need to hear from Him. Listen.

Thank You, Lord, for being merciful to me, a sinner. I never want to hear those words from You – Lo-ruhamah.

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Accountability, Bible, Brokenness, Following, God's Will, Judgment, Obedience, Punishment, Scripture

BROKEN BY GOD

HOSEA 1:5

“On that day I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel.”

Have you ever been broken? Do you know what I mean by that? I mean to be so low that you can’t see the way up. I have had a couple of times in my life when that happened. Let me tell you, that is not a good place to be. I did not enjoy those times. It was hard. I wasn’t sure I was going to make it.

Israel had sinned against a holy God. God had had enough. He was about to break them. When it says, “break the bow,” He is saying they will have no defenses against my judgment. And the Hebrew word for “break” literally means to break in pieces, to shatter. God meant business. He still does today. He will break us down to get us to repent and return to Him. He is a jealous God.

APPLICATION

Are you in need of a breaking? If you are a believer who is not walking with Him, beware. Now, here me clearly. God isn’t disciplining you for fun. He doesn’t sit on His throne looking for someone to zap. That’s not how He works. He disciplines us to make us more like Him. He is trying to shape us and mold us into the image of His Son. When we stray off the straight and narrow, He will do whatever is necessary to get us back on the path.

When you really think about it, brokenness is a good thing. Carl, you are a crazy man. No, listen. Brokenness brings us closer to God. We might not enjoy the journey to brokenness, but the end result is incredible. Who doesn’t want to be closer to our heavenly Father? That’s a great place to be. That’s the only place to be.

Will you pray today for brokenness? I’m serious. Ask the Lord to show you the areas of your life that need to be cast off to make you more like Him. Ask Him to break down everything that keeps you from being fully committed to Him. This is a dangerous prayer. It is also a God honoring prayer. He wants to see Jesus in you. Let Him chip away everything that doesn’t look like Him.

Father, make me like Jesus. Use the hammer and chisel to knock off all those chunks that need to go.  

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Accountability, Bible, Blessing, Faithfulness, Following, Judgment, Names, Obedience, Scripture

CHILDREN’S NAMES

HOSEA 1:4

“And the LORD said to him, “Name him Jezreel; for in just a little while I will punish the house of Jehu for the bloodshed of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel.” 

What does your name mean? Do you know? My first name is Carl, which means “strong, manly.” I like that. My last name is Willis, which means “son of William.” Now, that doesn’t say a whole lot, does it? But what is interesting is my middle name is William. Carl was my maternal grandfather’s name and William was my paternal grandfather’s name. They both died before I was born, so I never knew them. I wished I had.

God gave Hosea explicit instructions on what to name his son. He was sending a message to the kingdom of Israel. He was going to judge them and judge them harshly. Why? Because of Jehu’s sins. Jezreel means God will scatter. Every time people saw Hosea’s son, Jezreel, they would be reminded of this prophecy by Hosea that God was going to scatter them.

APPLICATION

How in the world do you apply this verse? For me, it means that I need to believe what God says. If He says He is going to do something, I can take that to the bank. It’s as good as done. He will not go back on His promises. If He promises blessings, blessings will come. If He promises discipline, discipline will be administered. Do you believe what He says?

My father was a man of his word. He’s been in heaven a few years now. I bet I could walk into my home town grocery store right now and charge a buggy full of food, if he was still alive. They all knew my dad and knew he was good for the money. His word meant something. Does yours? Are you living a life worthy of that kind of respect and honor? You can if you trust the Lord to live through you.

I pray today you are trusting in God’s Word. It will never let you down. His Word is a choice reservoir of truth and wisdom. Won’t you go deep today? If He said it, He meant it. Listen to Him.

O Mighty God, I will listen. Your words are sweet nectar to me. I believe in everything You tell me.

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Accountability, Advice, Bible, Commands, Direction, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Following, God's Will, Obedience, Scripture, Trust

OBEDIENCE

HOSEA 1:3

“So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.” 

So he went. Just like that. God told Hosea to go take a wife whom God knew would not be faithful to him. Hosea believed what God said was true, so he knew she would be faithful. And he still did it. Now, I have to admit – that would be a hard pill to swallow. After all, what man wants to know that?

You see, sometimes God asks us to do things that make no sense. In the logic of the world, it may even seem crazy. Sell your house and all your possessions and move to a foreign country to serve as a missionary? Are you crazy, God? Give up my rights for someone else? No way, Lord. But listen, we have to trust that He knows exactly what is best for us. He sees the end result.

APPLICATION

Trusting the Lord with the big things may seem easy. When we get sick, we quickly pray for healing. When we are faced with a career change, we turn to Him. But how about the little things, the everyday things? Do we trust Him with those? Don’t you think the Lord cares about those things too? Of course, He does. He knows when one hair falls from our heads.

Can you ask the Lord to give you that kind of faith? He will. He wants to. But you have to mean it. He will build in you the kind of faith that Jesus said could move mountains. I want that kind of faith. I want to move pebbles. I know the Lord can do it through me if I will just die to myself and allow Him to live through me.

Start your day tomorrow asking God to teach you to live that way. He’s waiting on you to ask. He’s ready to perform miracles in and through you. But like Hosea, you have to willing to do exactly what He says. Are you?

Lord, give me that kind of faith. I want it. I desire it. I trust You, Lord.

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Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Faithfulness, Following, Honor, Mentoring, Missionaries, Modeling, Parenting, Scripture, Service, Surrender, Witnessing

SEND THEM ON

3 JOHN 6

“and they have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God.”

A few years ago, my daughter had the privilege to spend several months in Kenya serving as a Social Worker at Tenwek Hospital. It was an incredible opportunity for her. She was able to work alongside some Kenyan Social Workers and learn from them, as well as share with them her experience in Social Work that she had learned in college.

Our church commissioned her and sent her out in the same way John is referring to here in today’s verse. John had just praised Gaius for the way he had treated the brethren who had visited him. Now he tells him to send them out in a way that honors God. What does that mean? I believe John is saying send them as if you are actually dealing with God Himself. They deserved that kind of honor.

APPLICATION

A lot of churches have lost respect for those who dedicate their lives in service to the Lord. We shrug our shoulder when we hear about someone leaving for an overseas commitment. I remember as a child being in awe of those missionaries. Our children need to be taught what that kind of commitment actually means. We shouldn’t put those individuals on a pedestal, but we should show them the honor they deserve.

How can you teach your child that? How about helping your child send letters to those missionaries? I guarantee you that will bless their hearts. How about doing a fundraiser for a missionary project one of those missionaries has shared about? Sometimes those projects aren’t very costly and can be accomplished with a little help from home. And most importantly, pray for those missionaries in your home.

Is there someone you know who is raising support now to go serve in another country? What can you do to help with that? You may not be able to give financially, but there are plenty of other ways to help in the effort. May I encourage you to be a Gaius today? Send them out in a manner worthy of God.

Lord, I pray for all those who have surrendered to serve You away from home. Bless them today and meet every need they have.

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