#hosea

Today’s readings for Mass again pair Hosea and Matthew. Both are rich with themes and topics, but one that came to mind was the way in which God views the world. When we view the world and all it contains we easily see what is on the surface and perhaps, from time to time, look more deeply into what we see.  God sees all the way to the heart of it. The prophet Hosea is speaking to the northern…

Today’s readings for Mass pair Hosea and Matthew.  At first glance, they seem unrelated. The Book of Hosea speaks of God courting Israel like a faithful bridegroom. The Gospel of Matthew recounts two healing miracles: the raising of a synagogue official’s daughter and the healing of the woman with the hemorrhage. But when read together they reveal something wonderful about God – He never stops…

Monday, 6/8/26

SCRIPTURE:

"Israel, you have rejected me, but My anger is gone; "I will heal you and love you without limit." ~ Hosea 14:4

"If you are wise, you will know and understand what I mean. "I am the Lord, and I lead you along the right path. "If you obey Me, we will walk together, but if you are wicked, you will stumble." ~ Hosea 14:9

OBSERVATION:

After 13 Chapters of tough sledding, nearly a whole chapter of... Jesus...

I have rejected the Lord on way too many occasions - 

Not necessarily belligerently...

...often absentmindedly...

...definitely selfishly...

...and many times even willfully... 

But yet (and still?):

He will heal me...

...and love me without limit...

He will lead - walk with - me along His "straight and narrow way..."

He doesn't expect me to follow it on my own...

Without Him I will stumble... 

After all, I often have...

This isn't a lesson in self-help after all...

Perhaps it's the original definition of "Assisted Living..."

APPLICATION:

Verse 1: Come back to Lord God!

Verse 2: Return to the Lord and say, 

"Please forgive my sins..."

Please "...accept my good sacrifices of praise..."

Verse 8 - Give up my idols!

Verse 9:

Be wise

Know and understand what He means

Allow Him to lead me along the right path

Obey and walk together with Him in order not to stumble

PRAYER:

Father God - I return to You, confessing the sinful selfishness that makes me stumble and fall - Please forgive my sins - of purpose and willfulness, of absentminded self-centeredness - and accept my sacrifice of praise to You instead of myself - Thank You Jesus for Your companionship and leading - May the Holy Spirit continue to remind me to walk with You along the path You have laid out for me follow without stumbling and I give thanks for Your presence with each step of each day - In Jesus's Name, and for Your glory and honor and praise in all things at all times...

Yours in Him, through Him, and because of Him...

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The consensus is we continue in this part of the Prophets and move into Joel tomorrow...

Friday, 6/5/26:

SCRIPTURE:

Will I ransom them from the power of the grave Will I redeem them from death’s hold? Death, where are your diseases? Grave, where is your destruction? Compassion is hidden from my eyes. ~ Hosea 13:14

OBSERVATION:

This sent me searching for where I’d heard this before, since I haven’t read much in Hosea before these past two weeks…

Found it in 1 Corinthians, where Paul repeats the Hosea’s questions and replies with: "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

750 to 800 years to have the “gloom and doom” of Hosea turned into to glory and Good News of Paul (I had to look that up, too…)

A answer well worth the wait!

Thanks be to God indeed!

APPLICATION:

Give thanks in and for all things…

…but especially for our victory through the Lord Jesus!

PRAYER:

Father - Thanks be to You and You alone for the victory over my sin and death through Your Son and my Lord Jesus! May I be forgiven for those sins I committed both inadvertently and willfully through my disobedience and seek the Holy Spirit’s power and presence to keep me from falling and failing. In Jesus’s Name and for Your glory, honor and praise for Your grace and mercy.

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Looks like I got ahead of myself yesterday 😣… Hosea is 14 Chapters, not 13, so Monday when we finish, what say you to continuing on into Joel? I am not that familiar with this book (either), so…

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Thursday, 6/4/26

SCRIPTURE:

The LORD God of heavenly forces, the LORD is His name! But you! Return to your God with faithful love and justice, and wait continually for your God. ~ Hosea 12:5-6

OBSERVATION:

• “The LORD is His Name!” • “The Lord God of heavenly forces!” • But me? • Not even close… • …and yet I wander in disobedience and unfaithfulness… • …too often tired of waiting… • …or worse yet, not even thinking of waiting… • …taking matters into my own hands, my own words…

APPLICATION:

• Return to God with faithful love and justice • Wait continually for Him

PRAYER:

Lord God of heavenly forces - Please forgive my wandering, my failure to acknowledge Your Name in my selfish wants - Thank You for inviting me to return, and may I wait continually for You as You do for me, in faithful love - In Jesus’s Name and for Your eternal glory, honor, and praise!

—————————————— Tomorrow finishes Hosea… where to next?

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Wednesday, 6/3/26

SCRIPTURE:

I led them with kindness and with love, not with ropes. I held them close to me; I bent down to feed them. ~ Hosea 11:4 Israel, I can't let you go. I can't give you up. How could I possibly destroy you as I did the towns of Admah and Zeboiim? I just can't do it. My feelings for you are much too strong. ~ Hosea 11:8

OBSERVATION:

These two verses dovetail so perfectly... 

...especially when "personalized"

He leads me with kindness and love...

He holds me close to Him...

He feeds me...

He not only won't, but can't let me go...

...or give me up...

His feelings for me are much too strong...

How do I know this?

Not just because He says so in these verses...

But because Jesus...

Despite my selfishness and disobedience...

APPLICATION:

Allow Him to lead!

Don't struggle in His holding!

Allow Him to feed and care for me!

PRAYER:

Kind and loving Father - Thank You for holding me close, for feeding me with Your Word, for refusing to let me go, despite my willfulness and disobedience - Forgive me, I pray, and keep me mindful of the purposes You have in mind for me, both today and in the days that follow - In Jesus's Name, and for Your glory and honor, and coming kingdom...

Tuesday, 6/2/26

SCRIPTURE:

Plow your fields, scatter seeds of justice, and harvest faithfulness. Worship Me, the Lord, and I will send My saving power down like rain. ~ Hosea 10:12

OBSERVATION:

"Plow your fields..." - Work where He has placed me, 

"...scatter seeds of justice..." 

Scatter His seeds...

His Word...

about His justice - 

paid by Christ's  sacrifice - 

"...harvest faithfulness..."

...harvesting is not just receiving...

...it involves working in the fields...

...where He has placed me... 

Full circle...

APPLICATION:

Plow my fields...

Scatter seed of justice...

Harvest faithfulness...

Worship Him...

Receive His saving power...

PRAYER:

Saving Father - Please forgive my lazy disobedience - my failure to plow, scatter, and harvest - Thank You for the Holy Spirit's urgings and reminders and strength to seek and follow Your will and purposes - May I stand in the rain of Your saving power poured out through Jesus... In His Name, and for Your worship and praise and glory...

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