Hosea chapters 1-7...

Hello ladies, i've read chapters 1-7 so far. Hope you've all been enjoying the weekend...

Well, as i was reading hosea, the greatest "tugging" i felt at my heart was that of the need to pray.

As i read of israel's sins, it became apparent that much of what the Lord was saying about them is very applicable to our nations in this day and age--and also of believers today.

The sins of the church of believers, the sins of our nation are all clearly written out.

How true is it that "the beasts of the field and the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea are dying" (4:3) today? But how many people are in tune with the Spirit of the Lord enough to recognize and acknowledge that these things are happening because His people are straying from Him? "there is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgement of God in the land."4:1

I find it interesting that God is not reprimanding the other other pagan nations and surrounding cultures, but Israel and Judah--the nations who were called of God--The people of God "rejected knowledge...ignored the law of [their] God, ...they exchanged their Glory for something disgraceful." (4:6-7)

This leads me to believe that as believers, we are given certain knowledge, capabilities, and responsibilities to live our lives differently from those non-believers around us. And as i believe that there are few still faithful to the Lord and desire to live according to His words, those believers (we) are also responsible to pray and intercede for our wayward brothers in the faith, as well as the nations around us. The beasts of the field, the birds of the air, the fish in the sea are not only dying and affecting the believers, but non believers alike.

As professing christians, we must intercede on behalf of our generation...because despite our rebellion and sins (as a whole nation of believers), the Lord gives us hope:

"Therefore I am now going to allure....give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. ...I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion...and you will acknowledge the Lord..." (2:14-21)

God has sent Christ, and and we were given hope, but we now need to spread that hope--through prayer and intercession, we can also hope to bring those who are only 'christian' by name, back to the acknowledgement of God.

...so i am convicted and am sorry that i have i have NOT been interceding for the nations, and for the people of God in this globe. how many stories have we read of pastors, church leaders falling into the sins of the world? ("The more the priests increased, the more they sinned against me...they feed on the sins of my people and relish their wickedness. And it will be: Like people,like priests." 4:7-9) How sad that even our leaders are falling because of just the widespread evilness and sinfulness of professing "believers," who are not living any different from the rest of the world.

Reading Hosea so far is stirring within me the need to repent for my own wayward self, and to pray for our church, the body of Christ, and for the nations...