Thoughts For A Wayard Nation With Wayard Hearts....

Hosea 5
Judgment Against Israel
1 "Hear this, you priests!
Pay attention, you Israelites!
Listen, O royal house!
This judgment is against you:
You have been a snare at Mizpah,
a net spread out on Tabor.

2 The rebels are deep in slaughter.
I will discipline all of them.

3 I know all about Ephraim;
Israel is not hidden from me.
Ephraim, you have now turned to prostitution;
Israel is corrupt.

4 "Their deeds do not permit them
to return to their God.
A spirit of prostitution is in their heart;
they do not acknowledge the LORD.

5 Israel's arrogance testifies against them;
the Israelites, even Ephraim, stumble in their sin;
Judah also stumbles with them.

6 When they go with their flocks and herds
to seek the LORD,
they will not find him;
he has withdrawn himself from them.

7 They are unfaithful to the LORD;
they give birth to illegitimate children.
Now their New Moon festivals
will devour them and their fields.

8 "Sound the trumpet in Gibeah,
the horn in Ramah.
Raise the battle cry in Beth Aven [a] ;
lead on, O Benjamin.

9 Ephraim will be laid waste
on the day of reckoning.
Among the tribes of Israel
I proclaim what is certain.

10 Judah's leaders are like those
who move boundary stones.
I will pour out my wrath on them
like a flood of water.

11 Ephraim is oppressed,
trampled in judgment,
intent on pursuing idols. [b]

12 I am like a moth to Ephraim,
like rot to the people of Judah.

13 "When Ephraim saw his sickness,
and Judah 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.

14 For I will be like a lion to Ephraim,
like a great lion to Judah.
I will tear them to pieces and go away;
I will carry them off, with no one to rescue them.

15 Then I will go back to my place
until they admit their guilt.
And they will seek my face;
in their misery they will earnestly seek me."

Eschatology has been on my mind a great deal lately.  Probably because I feel like many Americans this election year.  There is no good choice, and if we choose someone will it bring the ruin of our nation with it?

I have been reading through the Chronological Bible to read through this year.  It is very good!  (Thanks to Jenny Webb mentioning it.)  Anyway, I am very behind because of purchasing it a month and a half after the year started, my surgery, birthdays, vacations, and moving.  So, I am reading in two places to get caught up.  Ha, ha...we will see if I finish this year.  I said that to say that I'm reading through the prophets, and I just finished up Hosea.  I've always found this book fascinating because of what God asked Hosea to do by marrying a prostitute to communicate visually for His wayward people His perfect love.  It is so amazing the lengths God goes to because He loves His people and wants to help us be the best we can be as we are made in his image.  What a reminder that each of us has a duty to seek God to keep our wayward hearts in submission to Him.  I often find myself distracted from what I should be doing which makes me long for heaven, so I am no longer burdened by such meaninglessness.  I can fully worship God with my all.

I included the whole chapter because I love taking Scripture as a whole thought rather than a little blurb here or there.  There are parts of this chapter that brings thoughts to the condition of our nation and how I feel no comfort in the changes that are certain to come with a new presidency.  I can't imagine things getting worse but I know that can and probably will.  I am not shaken by this though because I know God is in control, and will keep those who love Him.  I am also challenged by this promise too.  I know that I am not always faithful in my love and my relationship with God.  I also struggle to serve God as He would have me because of my shyness.  Since we are in a much smaller church in a very different culture God is challenging me in this area.  We knew that Ryan's brother would ask us to help with the youth group and this has always scared me because let's be honest...I'm not that cool.  ;)  So, Ryan wants to help his brother, and I have to figure out how to help him and serving in this capacity.  The adventure thickens along with the plot of life, right?