Hosea 1 - 2.17.26

SCRIPTURE:  Hosea 1:2,3 “When the Lord began to speak through Hosea, the Lord said to him, “Go, marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her, for like an adulterous wife this land is guilty of unfaithfulness to the Lord.”  So he married Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.” NIV

OBSERVATION:  Hosea was a prophet in Israel near the end of the kingdom.  God certainly picked a man He knew would obey Him because what He was telling Hosea to do certainly didn’t sound like a God thing. ONLY because Hosea was in tune with God’s voice did he know it was really the Lord speaking!

Hosea’s marriage was a model of God’s love, and Israel’s unfaithfulness.  This true-life story of grace and redemption illustrated what God did for the children of Israel.  He took them as His spouse when, in spite of their idolatry and immorality, He delivered them from slavery in Egypt. However, disregarding God’s gracious love, they again became unfaithful by forsaking the Lord, worshipping idols, and engaging in immorality.  Yet in spite of their horrible sins, God in His love was attempting to woo them back to a faithful relationship with Him.  (Gene Getz).

Hosea married Gomer, who some believe had already been sexually promiscuous.  In their marriage, she was unfaithful to him, but despite her promiscuity, Hosea was to redeem her from a life of sexual slavery to once again become his wife.  Hosea obeyed God’s command, EVEN THOUGH he didn’t fully understand God’s message to Israel through this difficult period in his life.  This story of Israel’s idolatry and God’s future plan for His chosen people was written for us.  It’s a picture of what God has done for ALL who have responded to the Gospel. “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8). 

APPLICATION:  When we were born again and accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we became His future bride who will someday be presented to Him in heaven without spot or wrinkle.  (Ephesians 5:27). We have been chosen by God, and we have been redeemed by Jesus, all so we can become more and more like Jesus until we are presented to Him at the marriage of the Lamb. 

PRAYER:  Thank You dear God for sending Your Son, Jesus, to die for this sinner. Thank You for redeeming my life from the sinful lifestyle I was living before I met You. I pray as Your blood-bought daughter that I will live wholeheartedly for You.  I pray I will be so in tune with Your voice that I will obey You even when I don’t understand the full meaning behind it.  I desire to know You more, hear You more, and obey You more! 

- Robin Orefice

Galations 1 - 2.16.26

S - Galations 1:3 - “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

O - This verse gives us a reminder that we are not saved by our works and deeds.  We are saved by grace and peace offered through Jesus Christ.  How many of us Christians get caught up in performing works for the wrong reasons.  Being busy all the time hinders our ability to spend quiet time becoming closer to the one that holds the answers.  (Our Father).

A - First and foremost, we need to be more intentional in prayer over these situations.  I plan on praying over the area of needs versus our own understanding and ask our Father to direct my decisions to say yes to what he wants.

P - Lord I pray that we use our time as you see fit, not for our own reasons.  And I pray for the words and actions you desire versus my own worldly motivations.  I pray that the world sees that through you alone, grace and peace are offered and we are not defined by what we do, but what we do through you.  Amen

- Brian Moen

Proverbs 24 - 2.13.26

SCRIPTURE: Proverbs 24:17-18

Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice, or the Lord will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from them.

Observation

When someone we disagree with has something bad happen to them, we often think, it’s about time or it couldn’t happen to a nicer guy, or I am glad it happened to him all with a smile and a vengeful heart. The Lord does not like judgment on someone we dislike so much so it says he will turn his wrath away from that person.

How angry we can be at a social media post, politicians, or the news. Are we the judge of people? We see the Pharisees question the Disciples about who Jesus is talking with and breaking bread with. They were being judge and jury against Jesus. In Matthew 9:11 it says “When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” I wonder what the disciples were thinking. Are we becoming pharisees with people we disagree with?

Application

Our mission statement at DSC is “Love God, Love People, Make Disciples.” How can we gloat when our enemy fails and love them or make disciples of them at the same time? We know God loves us and them.

John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

God loved us so much that he sent Jesus. We need to call out sin when we see it, but do we handle it with love and wisdom that only Jesus can give us? Christ restored us and we should do the same, not with yelling louder or posting memes

Prayer

My Jesus, how glorious is your name. May your name, Jesus, be glorified forever and ever. Jesus, you came here to restore me, and have a relationship with me. Teach me your ways O Lord. Let your word soak down into my soul. Hear my prayers O Lord.

You Jesus are the example on how I am to treat my enemies. Open my eyes to see people the way you see people. When I look at the world, I see bad, crooked, evil people.  Jesus, you see lost souls you love. You went to the Cross for them. Forgive me, Jesus, when I gloat. Let me examine myself through your lens Jesus. Amen

- Robert Oberg