Author: Christine Wyrtzen

A Bird With A Decision To Make

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A BIRD WITH A DECISION TO MAKE

So Ephraim has become like a silly dove, without sense; they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria. When they go, I will spread My net over them; I will bring them down like the birds of the sky. I will chastise them in accordance with the proclamation to their assembly. Hosea 7:11-12

When Hosea writes, he is generous with word pictures. He suggests that God’s people have become frantic, like birds without direction. They fly here and there for the next thrill, the next counterfeit nest that will give them a sense of wellbeing. They actually believe that their wanderings can escape God’s notice. If they turn a blind eye to God, then God must turn a blind eye to them, right? God is clear about this falsehood. He is going to spread His net over them. He reminds them, through the mouth of Hosea, that according to all they have been taught, they will be disciplined proportionately.

Why is it that we are tempted to fly to Egypt? Continue reading “A Bird With A Decision To Make” →

Self-Awareness

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SELF-AWARENESS

Aliens have devoured his strength, but he does not know it; yes, gray hairs are here and there on him, yet he does not know it. And the pride of Israel testifies to his face, but they do not return to the LORD their God, nor seek Him for all this. Hosea 7:8-10

Self-awareness is one of the keys to success. We must know how others experience us. We must ask God to consistently reveal our blind spots. Otherwise, we will be like these Israelites. They were void of strength but saw themselves as powerful. They were aged and weak but feigned virility. They were proud and spurned their need for God yet believed themselves to be in His favor.

Blind spots are frightening. Have you ever had dinner with a small group and thought, “Boy, he talks a lot, but he doesn’t seem to know it.” Continue reading “Self-Awareness” →

Fires

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FIRES

Their hearts are like an oven as they approach their plotting.  Their anger smolders all night, in the morning it burns like a flaming fire.  Hosea 7:6

    Coals that are stoked all night by the keeper of the fire are kept alive. Embers are hot and ready for the job of baking the morning bread.  There would be no fire without someone having fiddled with coals.  The message is clear.  No person commits a grave sin without forethought.  Though people don’t yet see the fire of his deeds, there are coals he has been stoking.

    Every sin begins as a seed-thought.  For it to turn into a deed, there is a process of keeping the ‘thought of it’ on the back burner of our minds.  The idea is nurtured. It’s turned over and over in our heads, the place we think we can indulge safely, but the heat of the coals are preserved.  Fire will not be far away. Continue reading “Fires” →

A Truth-Telling Father

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A TRUTH TELLING FATHER     

When I would heal Israel, the iniquity of Ephraim is uncovered.  They do not consider in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness.  Now their deeds are all around them; they are before My face.  Hosea 7:1

         Repentance begins with the recognition that God sees my sin, is grieved by it, and longs to forgive.  If I pretend that He doesn’t notice it, I will fail to take responsibility for it.  It’s as if I believe that God is a God who doesn’t see all, hear alls, and perceive all.  But meanwhile, everything I do, and everything I think of doing, is under His spotlight.  Since sin is conceived in the heart, what is in my heart is as real as if I had already said it or done it.  There are no secrets.

God’s desire is to heal and forgive.  That is His bent.  When I block His great love, expressed by His desire to forgive and restore, by hiding or denying my sin, He is frustrated because He is not able to do what He longs to do for me.  Continue reading “A Truth-Telling Father” →

Betrayal By One Intimate

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BETRAYAL BY ONE INTIMATE

Like Adam, they have broken the covenant– they were unfaithful to me there.  Hosea 6: 7

 If betrayed by a stranger, we shrug our shoulders and declare, “That’s life!”  But an act of betrayal committed by one close to us leaves us with an open, gaping wound that must heal.  Have you suffered the treachery of one in covenant with you?  The covenant of friendship, perhaps.  Or marriage, or business.  Within an intimate relationship, promises are made, vows of fidelity are taken, and well-intentioned love is understood and expected.  Things seem to run smoothly for a while, maybe even for decades, so it’s no wonder that when one close to us is revealed as a “Judas”, we are stunned and left staggering in disbelief for years.  Continue reading “Betrayal By One Intimate” →

The Only Way To Impress God

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THE ONLY WAY TO IMPRESS GOD

For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings. Hosea 6: 6

The nation of Israel had fled from the one true God and had gone to worship others. This involved keeping many rituals. To make a powerful contrast between the expectations of the false gods and the God they had forsaken, Hosea reminds them that Yahweh doesn’t want a form of religion. He wants a heart that is bent toward Him.

Today, God’s priorities are the same. No ritual will ever impress Him if there is a lack of mercy for those in need. No eloquent prayer nor an impressive monetary gift for some building fund will ever move the heart of God if there is no acknowledgement of Him in the gift. Continue reading “The Only Way To Impress God” →

The Unacceptable Way Out

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THE UNACCEPTABLE EASY WAY OUT

Oh Ephraim, what shall I do to you?  O Judah, what shall I do to you?  For your faithfulness is like a morning cloud and like the early dew it goes away.  I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.  Hosea 6:4-6

    Why is it that I think I can get away with cheating God?  This issue of mercy and sacrifice was of utmost importance to Jesus.  He quoted this passage twice in Matthew to the religious leaders of His day.  He wanted them to know what is still so pertinent today ~ you bring animals for sacrifice but you don’t bring me your life as a sacrificial offering.  What’s missing is commitment of the heart.

    What constitutes a sacrifice Jesus accepts?  Continue reading “The Unacceptable Way Out” →

Unpredictable Affection

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UNPREDICTABLE AFFECTION

What can I do with you, Judah?  Your love is like the morning mist, like the early dew that disappears.  Hosea 6:4

It is confusing to experience fickle behavior at the hands of a friend. One moment their eyes may be framed with concern, the next, they appear unmoved by our plight.  Not being able to predict which ‘friend’ we will encounter, our heart cannot be fully at rest.  We are on guard when sharing our thoughts and feelings.  If one visit goes well, we nervously anticipate the next, waiting for the shoe to drop.

I know many who were raised by parents whose behavior was unpredictable.  Happy one day, but in a rage the next.  The children lived nervously.  Continue reading “Unpredictable Affection” →

Living Through Discipline

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LIVING THROUGH DISCIPLINE

Come, and let us return to the Lord; for He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up. After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His sight. Hosea 6:1-2

Remember what it was like to go after something that wasn’t really good for us? It was hard to convince ourselves that it wasn’t good because it sure felt great. Indulgence made us feel complete and gave us feelings of contentment that were deceiving. Perhaps our wanderings took us to a person that appeared to meet all of our internal needs. Pretty soon though, God tore it out of our hands. For any who have live through God’s discipline, the ‘feel of the tearing’ is quite vivid. It can seem cruel, but it is only temporarily. Continue reading “Living Through Discipline” →

Superficial Repentance

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SUPERFICIAL REPENTANCE

They will seek the Lord but they will not find Him. He has withdrawn from them. Hosea 5:6

“The proof is in the pudding.” My talk is cheap. Actions must prove my words.

The same is true of repentance. If I tell God I am sorry for what I’ve done, I will not go out and intentionally repeat it again. My actions will prove that I agree with God about my sin, that it was also distasteful to me, that it also grieved my soul.

Childishness can mark the life of many believers. Remember when our parents told us to apologize to a brother or sister. We said, “Sorry!” because we were made to. The mere inflection of our “Sorry!” was a clue that repentance was not evident in our heart. Continue reading “Superficial Repentance” →