As explained in reading Hosea 11-12, the people responded to God’s love and kindness not by going more to Him but away from Him. Instead of gaining assurance from His love to endure difficulty, they sacrificed to the Baals and they burned incense to images (v. 2). The people continued to go their own way and did not respond by repenting or learning from their experiences.

Our situations are small compared to how big God is and this assurance gives endurance to take on the challenges of our world. Today, we spend a lot of time trying to fix things going wrong with our smart phone, high definition TV, computer, and printers.  Technology has made the world a very complicated place in which it takes a team of experts to figure out how to fix our issues.

I remember one time my printer was not printing. Everything was coming out as blank pages. For some reason, it would print in all colors except black. I couldn’t figure it out so I ask for help. In some ways, that’s what God is telling us in this passage. We should let our pride aside, confess our lack of understanding, and receive the help.

This day with You Lord, we take courage. You teach us through lessons and kindly provide for our needs. Lord, we pray that we work with you in faith, wait for You in hope, and fulfill our purpose with a passion. Amen.

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