“Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them; for the ways of the Lord are right, and the upright walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them.” - Hosea 14:9
Good choices lead to good results. Bad choices lead to bad results. That is why who you spend the most time with is so important.
If your goal is to be a champion, hang around other people who also want to be champions so you can inspire, motivate, and hold each other accountable.
Doing anything great requires both great effort and great sacrifice. Doing something great is hard. Don’t make it harder by making bad decisions and hanging around the wrong people.
The story of Hosea and his plea to the Israelites - make good choices so they can have a good future - is a story of the power of our choices.
Hosea is a prophet in Northern Israel who was called to speak on God’s behalf. God rescued the Israelites from Egyptian slavery, and He brought them into The Promised Land where He entered into a covenant with them where He asked them to be faithful to Him alone.
But when they were blessed with everything they needed, they took it all and dedicated it to the worship of the Canaanite god Baal.
Instead of ending the covenant, He decides to pursue their loyalty. The consequences of their actions were that God would allow their enemies to destroy them, but He would eventually send a savior through the line of David to save them.
God just wants us to get to know Him and follow Him. He wants us to get to know Jesus, and talk to, listen to, and follow the Holy Spirit.
His goal for us is to have a meaningful relationship with Him and live the life He has promised us.
It is written in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”
At the end of Hosea, at 14:9, it is written, “Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them; for the ways of the Lord are right, and the upright walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them.”
Take time this week to sit still and talk and listen to God. Read the Bible. Pray to God, and listen so that you may know and understand His ways.
THIS WEEK
1 - What is one goal you have for the week?
2 - In what way can you talk to God about your goal?
3 - What do you think God would say about your goal and how to achieve it?
4 - What is one thing that is keeping you from achieving your goal, and how can you overcome it?
For a Google doc version of this devotional, click here: Good Choices
Коментарі