BibleJournal.net

Hosea 1–2

Hosea was a prophet in the northern kingdom of Israel during the eighth century BC, roughly 755–715 BC. He ministered during a time of political instability and spiritual decline, when Israel outwardly prospered but inwardly drifted far from God. God called Hosea not only to speak His message, but to live it—using Hosea’s own marriage as a living illustration of God’s relationship with His people.

In Hosea 1–2, we encounter a shocking and tender picture of divine love. God commands Hosea to marry Gomer, a woman who would be unfaithful, symbolizing Israel’s persistent spiritual adultery through idolatry. The names of their children—Jezreel, Lo-Ruhamah (“Not Loved”), and Lo-Ammi (“Not My People”)—declare the painful consequences of Israel’s rebellion. Sin has real effects; it fractures relationship and invites judgment.

Yet judgment is not the final word.

Hosea 2 turns from accusation to hope. God speaks not only as a judge, but as a wounded husband who refuses to stop loving. He promises to allure Israel back, to speak tenderly, to restore what was broken. The same God who disciplines also heals; the One who withdraws blessing does so to draw hearts back to Himself. Strikingly, the children’s names are reversed—“Loved” and “My People”—revealing God’s redemptive purpose.

This passage invites us to examine our own faithfulness. Where have lesser loves competed for our devotion? Hosea reminds us that God’s love is not fragile or fleeting. Even when we wander, He pursues—not to shame us, but to restore us to a covenant marked by mercy, intimacy, and steadfast love.

Psalm 89

God made a covenant with David that there would be a King who would come from his lineage. We see in Jeremiah and in Isaiah that God will bring a branch or a root forth from Jesse. God made a promise and then fulfilled that promise when He sent His own son, Jesus. When God made a covenant to David, He made an unconditional covenant. He didn’t say I will establish your throne forever if… He said I will establish your throne forever.

In verse 30-32 the psalmist writes, “But if his descendants forsake my instructions and fail to obey my regulations, if they do not obey my decrees and fail to keep my commands, then I will punish their sin with the rod, and their disobedience with beating.” It’s easy for us to read that and think, “So much for God keeping His promise.”

Israel was judged for their wrongdoing because God is just. God was being a loving God when He brought Babylon down to send Judah into exile. He was using Babylon to clear the idolatry from His wife, Israel. There must be payment for sin, it’s just a matter of who pays it, you or Jesus. In the Old Testament, souls were saved by trusting in the coming Messiah. In the Church Age, souls are saved by trusting in the Messiah that has already come.

Jesus paid the cost in full for our sin on the cross. In Hebrews, we read that He died once, for all. The work has already been done. Now does that mean we should keep on sinning so that grace may abound? Absolutely not! God still chastens and disciplines believers for their sin, but He does not require additional retribution (Romans 8:1). Jesus already paid the cost. It’s easy to associate God’s chastening and disciplining with His judgment, but it is His love.

Read verses 33-34, “But I will never stop loving him nor fail to keep my promise to him. No, I will not break my covenant; I will not take back a single word I said.” God loves you so much that he will discipline and chasten you so that you will be perfect and mature, lacking nothing. He does it from His lovingkindness. Praise God that He kept His promise to David. If He kept His promise to David, then we can trust His promise to every believer. That He is going to prepare a place for you and will come back to take you to that place. Amen!

Today’s Reading: Psalms 23 

When I was a kid, I remember going to my cousin’s house and spending the night. Sometimes they would watch scary movies. When they watch scary movies and I would watch them or hear the movie, I was afraid and I could not sleep. I would run away from the fear.

Many times when we are afraid and scared, we try to run away from it as fast as possible. When there is immediate danger to you, it is necessary to evade the danger as fast as possible. But when there is a fear of something that is not going to harm us, we do not need to run as fast as possible. We can try to access the situation and process the unknown.  I remember being a kid and being afraid of something and counting as fast as I could to 10.  I thought if I could get to ten, I could get away from the fear. But as I am an adult, I have understood that when I try to rush through the fear, I am not allowed a God to work in me. 

In today’s passage, the 23rd Psalms, this is a familiar passage to many individuals who are Christian and non-Christian. Sometimes we run through the psalms as we run through the our prayers or mantras : to say it to get through it and then move on. But when we actually break it down into its parts, there is more to this psalms.  

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭23‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

David gives us an example of how to walk with God in the midst of our fears. 

David walks. 

He is moving with intention, but not running.

I like to think that David wrote this psalm close to the end of his life. At this point in time, David is able to see how God works and He is intentional with His protection and His love.

Earlier in David’s life, he had to run away from things. But now it is later life, he realizes that God is there with him in all parts of his life and he does not have to rush through any parts of it: the highs or lows, the fears or joys, the stress or the rest.  With God and his relationship, David is able to be at ease and just move with assurance that he is protected and secure. 

Can this be an example for us. Can we rest assured and walk with ease in life despite the fears?

The Fears of failure or the Fear of success.  

The Fear of Loss or the Fear of Abundance.  

The Fear of Death or the Fear of Life.   

Fear is a natural emotion that we have. We cannot erase it. What we can do is overcome and conquer fear with courage and discipline. The fears that were typical are the fears of failure, the fears of loss and fears of death. The fears of success are if you become Successful you will lose other things. The fear of  Abundance can be fears of mismanagement.   The fears of Life can be that of the  uncertainty of everything. I remember becoming a parent and the joy and fear that encompasses that. The joy of something exciting and new, but then the fears of trying to protect new life from everything. 

As we see there can be many fears that encapsulate us on a daily basis. It is the rational fears of Fear of Failure, Fear of Loss, and Fear of Death and the non-logical fears of Success, Abundance, and Life that can cripple us and stop us from fulfilling the goodness that God has ready for us.  Let us walk with God in the midst of these and all fears that will hinder us from goodness.  He has so many things ready for us, if we walk with Him and trust in His process.

Be Blessed

1 Samuel 17

“You do you.”  I hate that phrase. It’s defeatist. It gives up. It stops caring. UDU says, “I’m not going to interfere with your life. I will just go live mine.”

Isn’t that a picture of Christian America today?  The vast majority of us are pacifists refusing to get offended by words and even actions.  The evidence is seen every day in our response to the taunts and teases of those that defy our God.

Young David didn’t see it that way. He heard of the actions of the Philistines and their giant He couldn’t believe it. “How could this man defy God?” He asks, shocked. Not only was Goliath spitting in the face of God he was taunting all of Israel. And, Israel was the army of God! David was offended. So offended would not, could not, stand for it.

Do you get offended, when you see people spit in the face of God?  How do you respond? how do you respond?  Do you wave the white flag of defeat? Do you dismiss the offense, look the other way and say, “You do you?”  I do.

Two things contribute to my response: fear and identity. You see, I’m afraid of what comes with being offended. Like David, being offended comes with responsibility that I would rather not accept. It’s way easier to be a victim than it is to take action.  Especially when that action comes with severe consequences. The second thing is identity. David called Israel “the army of God,” and he was a soldier.  We don’t see ourselves as soldiers today, but Christians used to. As a child in church, I remember singing the hymn, “Onward Christian Soldiers!” I wonder why we don’t sing it anymore?

If you’re inclined to take up arms and assume your role as a soldier in God’s army, you’ll want to keep in mind what a Christian soldier looks like. Jesus didn’t arm himself with weapons of war. In fact, he chastised Peter for using a sword. Jesus’ weapons are love and kindness, generosity and care. That tells me that the fight is not the fight that you think it is. Victory is not achieved by being the loudest voice in the room, winning the debate, or bloodshed. Victory comes when souls are redeemed, lives are made whole, and love prevails. 

1 Onward, Christian soldiers,
marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
going on before!
Christ, the royal Master,
leads against the foe;
Forward into battle,
see his banner go!

Refrain:
Onward, Christian soldiers,
marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
going on before!

2 At the sign of triumph
Satan’s host doth flee;
On, then, Christian soldiers,
on to victory!
Hell’s foundations quiver
at the shout of praise;
Brothers, lift your voices,
loud your anthems raise!

Today’s reading – Ruth 3

Which human weakness highlights God’s faithfulness?

Let’s cut to the chase and answer this question first, then we can discuss further.  What human weakness best highlights God’s faithfulness?? It is the inability to keep promises!  At first, I wasn’t sure what the appropriate answer was.  In 2 Timothy, chapter 2:13, “If we are faithless, he remains faithful”.  So what exactly makes us faithless to Him??  We could go on all day listing out things that can make us faithless to God.  But I get it and agree, it’s the empty promises we tell ourselves and share with God.

Let’s get back to the reading, Ruth 3.  Naomi knows it is time for Ruth to secure her future, and Naomi has a plan.  She sends her off to Boaz to present herself appropriately and let him see her as a potential wife, not just a worker.

Ruth waits until he is asleep and lies down next to him.  He wakes up and she explains her being there.  None of this was inappropriate but more so the legal and covenant-based way to do things back then.

Boaz praises Ruth for her character and is honored she chose him instead of some younger and richer man. But there is a problem, another man has the legal right to redeem Ruth.  In turn, Boaz shows integrity, patience and respect for the law to see that the correct steps are taken and no shortcuts are made.

Boaz sends Ruth back to Naomi but not empty handed.  When Ruth returns, Naomi knows that Boaz is a man of action and of his word and will do what is necessary and right.

Let me break down everyone in this story.  Ruth is bold, respectful, and intentional.  Boaz is honorable and decisive.  Naomi is strategic and wise.

How will we respond in trust and obedience?

God is working quietly throughout our lives and with normal decisions and integrity.  Ruth chapter 3 is about trusting His timing, doing things the right way, and courageously stepping into our futures without manipulation.  How will I respond in trust and obedience in the day to day??  Well…I have an idea how I have been doing it.  Half the time I don’t think about it, I just DO.  The other half I talk with God and trust that I am making the right decisions, and He will help guide me the rest of the way.  The fault in that statement is the word HALF.  HALF the time is not how often He wants me to trust and obey Him.  He wants ALL of me and you, not just a part, not just 50%, ALL.

The more we could all be like Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz the better.  The faith and trust they have in God is what we should desire.  The promises that we give Him and the promises that He gives us all we need to help us make sure our footsteps align with His until we see him in Heaven.

Ruth is defined by loyalty and devotion. Her life certainly did not evolve how she likely dreamed.  Perhaps Ruth dreamed of a happy marriage, a home, filled with children, large dinners, laughter, and happiness.

Let’s set the stage for the Book of Ruth.

What she experienced was the complete opposite for her life. As what appears to transpire when she was a young woman, her husband died before they had children.  Her father-in-law and brother-in-law died, leaving her to live with her sister-in-law and her mother-in-law.  Three widows living together. Hardly the dream life she had likely hoped for.  On top of that, her mother-in-law, named Naomi, ordered Ruth and her sister-in-law, Orpah, to return to their families in Moab, as she decided to return to her homeland in Judah.

What Ruth did was defining. She refused to leave her mother-in-law. Even though that meant traveling to the land of Judah to start a new life, where she knew no one, she remained loyal and devoted to Naomi and in Ruth 1:16, Ruth said “Entreat me not to leave you, or turn back from following after you, For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will will lodge; Your people shall by my people.”

To emphasize and highlight Ruth’s devotion even further, Ruth 1:18 says, “When she (Naomi) saw that she (Ruth) was determined to go with her, she stopped speaking to her.”  Can you imagine? Not a great way to start a 75 mile journey across the Jordan River, rugged and hilly terrain, which likely took them 7-10 days to walk.

The Book of Ruth shows us that God is still present in what seem like horrible times.

God remains faithful even in famine and loss. The Book of Ruth opens talking about famine, exile, and death (Ruth 1:1–5). At first glance, God seems absent. Yet in verse 6, Naomi hears that “the LORD had visited His people and given them food.” This echoes God’s covenant promise to Israel: He would not abandon His people, even when they experienced discipline or hardship (cf. Deut. 30:1–5). God restores provision at the right time.

God preserves the line of redemption. Though Naomi loses her husband and sons, God is quietly protecting the future through Ruth—a Moabite widow, an outsider. This fulfills God’s long-term promise that blessing would come through unexpected people and means (Gen. 12:3). Even before we see Boaz or David, God is already keeping His promise to bring redemption through a faithful line.

God shows covenant love through human faithfulness. Ruth’s loyalty to Naomi (1:16–17) reflects God’s own covenant love. While spoken by Ruth, it mirrors God’s promise: “I will not leave you.” God is keeping His promise to care for the vulnerable—widows, foreigners, the poor—by working through Ruth’s faithfulness.

What can we take away from Naomi and Ruth in this first chapter and apply to our lives?

God is at work even when my story feels empty. Naomi believes she has returned “empty” (1:21), but the reader knows she is not. Ruth is with her—and Ruth carries the future. God is still working, even when we cannot yet see how.

God does not abandon us in bitterness or grief. Naomi is honest about her pain, and God does not rebuke her. He meets her in it. We can bring our grief to God, and He will remain faithful even when our faith feels weak.

God’s redemption often begins with a simple step of obedience. Ruth’s promise to stay is not dramatic—just faithful. Yet it becomes the doorway to redemption. If we walk faithfully today, God can use small obedience for purposes far bigger than I imagine.

 

Joshua 3

In order for us to appreciate what is happening in this third chapter, it is helpful to look back at the first chapter of Joshua. God spoke to Joshua and told him to lead the people across the Jordan river into the land which He had promised them. Joshua then told the people within three days they would cross the Jordan. When God promises something it will come to pass. Look in the New Testament at Romans 11:29, it states, “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” When God says something, it comes to pass. He does not go against His Word.

Now fast forward to chapter 3. We see Joshua, speaking on behalf of God, tell the priests to take the ark of the covenant into the Jordan river first. The rest of the people were to stand back about a half mile. It was said they would walk on dry ground. Not on marshy, muddy ground, but dry. Surely Joshua was recalling when God split the Red Sea and led the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt as he was about to experience a similar work of God. Additionally, we have a description of the river. This river was swollen with water as it was early in the harvest. Sometimes we forget that we serve a supernatural God who is not limited or bound by natural laws. Our finite minds can get in the way of our faith in God’s Word. This was not so for Joshua.

Joshua trusted God and commanded the priests evermore. The river may be gushing but God said we were going to walk on dry land. Joshua and Israel took a step of faith. Where do you need to take a step of faith? God says that He will never leave us nor forsake us. His word says that by one sacrifice He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. Do you know that with faith you can move mountains? Do you know that with faith, all things are possible? Is God calling you to something and you are on the fence of obeying? Trust His Word. He esteems it even higher than His name. My pastor always says, “Love God, love His Word, and love His people”. Do those things and God will do some awesome things in your life!