Dwindling In Unbelief: How many has God killed?

2009-02-16T19:43:00.000-08:00

Entry for May 08, 2007 Sons of the Living God

2007-05-08T23:11:00.001-07:00

Entry for May 08, 2007 Sons of the Living God: Tuesday, May 8
Hosea 1:9-11
9Then said God, Call his name Loammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God.
10Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.
11Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel.

Sons of the Living God

KEY VERSE: “Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God,” Hosea 1:10.

Some of God’s prophets demonstrated by their actions the messages God wanted Israel to have. Isaiah dressed like a prisoner of war; Jeremiah walked about with a yoke on his shoulders. Ezekiel acted like a little boy playing war. The prophet Hosea’s life was one continuous object lesson for the people of Israel. His life with marriage to the prostitute Gomer had many lessons for them.

The names of Hosea’s three children carried special meaning. Jezreel means “God scatters.” Lo-ruhamah means “unloved.” Lo-ammi means “not my people.” All these names indicated the standing of the people of Israel with God.

Then God’s grace enters the picture. As verse 10 indicates, Israel will one day become my people, the unloved will become my loved one, and the scattered will become the ones God sows in the land He gives them, becoming as the sands of the sea.

All who have been saved can understand the depth of the change from “not my people” to “sons of the living God.” This is such a demonstration of God’s grace to sinful man that we should never lose sight of what God has done for us.

Living it: Praise God because you are one of His.

Mary McCalister

Never Forsaken

2007-05-08T23:04:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, May 9

Hebrews 13:5, 6

5Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

6So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

Never Forsaken

KEY VERSE: “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee,” Hebrews 13:5.

Does it seem strange that the writer would introduce one of the greatest promises of God with the admonition that our way of living should be without covetousness? It will not seem so strange if we face ourselves honestly and admit how many times we have said, or thought, “Yes, I know God will take care of me, but I want more money more possessions or more prestige among men.” Then we proceed to fill these wants, not being content with what we have, not knowing God gives us all we need.

The story is told of a well-known preacher who was taken by friends to New York and shown around the city. That night in his prayers he said, “Lord, I thank You for letting me see all the sights of New York. And I thank You most of all that I didn’t see a thing that I wanted!” Blessed is the man who can remain free from the charms of this world, independent of them because He does not want them and secure in the knowledge that God will never forsake him.

We will have all that we need to do all that God wants us to do, as long as He wants us to do it.

Living it: “But godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Tim. 6:6).

Mary McCalister

Darrin's thoughts

Dwindling In Unbelief: How many has God killed?

Entry for May 08, 2007 Sons of the Living God

Never Forsaken