– He Lights My Path
BRD REFLECTIONS:
Hosea 6, 7 and Psalm 119:97-112 (NIV)
(Terence Tan, Zone 5 PCZ core team)
READ:
In Ps 119:105, I was reminded that “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path” and in Hos 6:6 that the Lord “desire(s) mercy not sacrifice and acknowledgement of God rather than burnt offerings.”
OBSERVE:
In Hosea 6 and 7, I see the following characteristics of God:
- A just God, who being in nature Holy, must punish those who sin.
- A merciful God, who also provides relief to those he punishes. I see this contrast when Israel is “torn to pieces” yet is given healing(Hos 6:1). Despite allowing Israel to be “injured”, God also promises to “bind up” Israel’s wounds.
It seems to me that there are three primary causes for Israel’s treatment and misery: firstly, Israel’s fickle love for God; secondly their persistence in sinning and disobeying God’s laws; and finally the breaking of their covenant with God. Their pain is all self-induced.
Our God is faithful to His people and will keep His covenant with them. He will restore His people and heal Israel. In punishing Israel, God desires that his people turn back to Him and restore a loving relationship with Him.
APPLY:
When I reflect on how I live my life, I see that I am not much different from Israel. I am fickle in my relationship with God. I often find myself a slave to sin rather than a faithful disciple of Christ. I struggle with pride, desiring to do things in my own strength, even in Christian service. I forget that I have a loving God who wants me to rely on Him and the Holy Spirit to guide me. The passage today reminds me that God looks at the heart and not physical activity in assessing my love for Him.
DO:
I desire to spend more time with God in personal reflection. I pray that His Holy Spirit will continually guide me in my thoughts, words and deeds. I wish to have God’s Word as a light unto my path. More importantly, may the mercy God has shown me be reflected in my heart towards all those He has placed in my path.
PRAY:
Dear Jesus, thank you for loving me and sacrificing yourself as a penalty for my sin. I trust you and ask that your Holy Spirit continually guide my thoughts, words and deeds. I pray that I will continually be faithful and desire to seek and reflect on your Word. As I reflect on the mercy you have shown me, remind me also to show mercy to those you have allowed me to encounter. In His name I pray, Amen.
