I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. – John 15:1-2
In the post, “Dissipation of a Nation”, the people turned to idol worship instead of giving credit to God for all they had been given. Written about were some lessons we can take from this passage which can be applied today within nations or used by individuals. Many throughout the world seem to think governments can best provide for needs even though governments have a way of setting up roadblocks to productivity by setting up regulations that are impossible to meet or enforce.
In the nation in which I live, every state is different but united. Within the United States, some states choose to do things one way and others choose to do things another way. Texas has just a few natural lakes. Years ago, some smart people noticed that there were many rivers in Texas but the water just ran into the Gulf of Mexico. During the hot summers, the state would get low on water so they thought of the idea of building damns along the rivers to make lakes that stores the water.
The point is that it’s important to plan using the lessons taught by history. Some states never learned from history; never built lakes to store rain water, and as a result, have to either do without or barrow water from other states at a high price.
The Bible has many lessons taught by history that the United States adopted to form The U. S. Constitution as a guide to run the nation. Unfortunately, many have decided that it should no longer be “One Nation Under God” so they’ve instructed to ditch the advantage that history brings; going instead to the lead of a few unqualified bureaucrats as the best way to the future.
God’s Plan for Us is the best way. It’s been proven over and over again. This day can be amazing because our growing faith can never be taken away or depleted. The gospel message has a beautiful and refreshing simplicity about it that sets us free and never let us down. Be inspired by the song The Way by Jeremy Camp.
As explained in Hosea 13, at one time everyone listened to God and showed respect but abundance made them feel they were self-sufficient and they gave themselves over to the worship of idols. This resulted in complete dissipation of the nation of Israel. The disease of sin spread unchecked as the right choices were not made and they could not remember that the Lord was their Savior.
There are several lessons that nations and individuals can learn from this passage. It’s important to choose the King of kings rather than a human king. Another lesson is to choose life rather than death; to rely on God’s Way rather than our own way and to rely on God in good and in bad times.
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Father God, we humbly come to You today knowing that greatness can only be achieved by doing things Your Way. The nation from which I am from currently no longer gives You credit and the many leaders of this nation no longer believe in being “One Nation Under God”. Today, we ask that the people rise up over these leaders and that this trend is reversed so that people serve You and constantly seek Your help rather than the small help from government. Amen.
Do not be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer and petition, present your request to God and the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:6-7
God is like a mountain; standing rock solid over time and protecting you in your time of need. You can take courage, for God is there for you. If you feel anxious about anything today, go to God in prayer. Take courage, for He loves you; teaching through lessons and kindly providing for your needs.
Work with Him in faith, wait for Him in hope, and fulfill your purpose with a passion. As in the song Whom Shall I fear by Chris Tomlin, the God of angel armies will always be by your side.
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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This Day With God - A Spiritual Journey 