Let us go back to the Purpose ToolTemplate at this Link. Click on the tab at the bottom labeled List of Dreams and use this to record any other dreams as you spend extra time dreaming and thinking about this list.
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding. – Proverbs 4:7
In the post “What’s the Cure”, explained was how the incentives were upside down during Hosea’s time in Israel. Isn’t it amazing that the incentives seem to be upside down in societies throughout our world today! One thought brought out in the post was that governments throughout the world go into debt for rewarding the wrong behavior.
There is an incentive for governments to make people dependent on them rather than God. Even the United States seems to no longer put an emphasis on being “One Nation Under God”. Instead of being wise, being efficient, and productive as individuals, the aim is to promote discontent and chaos. Perhaps the reason is that society is in disarray and laws are not enforced.
When laws are not enforced, there is no accountability in society and a lack of morality is pushed throughout the culture. The worse off the people become, the more government solutions are pushed. Then to support government solutions, people are taxed to support the dependence. This only makes the harmful government institutions grow even larger and more tyrannical.
Over time, governments grow but go into more and more debt. Then governments tax more and this limits what people can create on their own; limiting their gifts to churches and non-profits. The vicious cycle continues from generation to generation. Unfortunately, people then have fewer opportunities to get out of the second-rate living conditions they have been forced into by the government.
The only cure is through accepting God’s grace. The Great Physician diagnosed adultery, stealing, and murder; the prognosis was emptiness, failure, and disappointment. But by accepting God’s grace, there is a cure and His people can also acquire the positive lessons of life through the study of His Word!
God’s way leads to wisdom and understanding. As in this video, God knows how we should live and His Word provides the instruction: He Knows – Jeremy Camp.
Reading in Hosea 3-4, Gomer left Hosea and became an adulteress. In order for Hosea to live with her again, Gomer had to stop being a prostitute and being intimate with other men (v. 3). This type of reunion depicts God’s relationship with Israel as the people would live for many days without a king or prince. Afterwards the Israelites would return; seek the Lord their God and His blessings (v. 5).
Within this passage, we are given an indictment towards Israel and the reason for their suffering. There was murder, adultery, and stealing throughout the land. The leaders gave the people the wrong incentives that promoted sinfulness. Instead of instructing the people towards dependence on God and morality, they led them towards idolatry and immorality.
The more the people sinned, the more the priest received because a sin offering was given to the priest (v. 7). The incentives were upside down much like the incentives are upside down in societies throughout our world today. Think about it, governments are going into tremendous debt throughout the world because they manipulate interest rates to try and stimulate the economy. They also give more incentives to negative behavior rather than to positive behavior.
What’s the cure? Certainly not government. I submit that the cure is God’s grace. Once received, one can gain wisdom to live the way life is meant to be lived. Lord, we come to You today asking for Your forgiveness and accepting Your grace. Without You, our days ahead would look bleak but with You, every trial we go through adds wisdom and every challenge brings triumph. In Jesus name we pray. Amen
See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you. – Isaiah 42:9
God wants to make each day amazing and our tomorrows more amazing than today. In His timing, things are made right. He is for us so we can be at peace and focus on a brighter future. Because of His love for us, we are inspired to share about this love with others.
The good memories we have can give us a lift and the nicer weather can give us a lift but the ultimate lift is knowing that the future is bright because of the reward God has for all who believe in His Son. No matter what is going on in life, we can count on the turning of the season from winter to spring. We can also count on greater tomorrows because of our acceptance of Christ in our heart.
We get hit with so many negative thoughts on a daily basis. One idea to overcome is to begin our day with uplifting positive music to inoculate the negative thoughts. Take a few minutes to listen to this uplifting song to get your mind in the right frame of mind as you begin your day: Forgiven – Sanctus Real.
In the first part of Hosea 1-13, we are told the future would be made difficult because the people would be looking for their happiness, needs, and desires from the world rather than from God. Now as listed in Hosea 2:14-23, we are told that God will restore Israel with a more bountiful harvest, with safety, and Israel would be a more righteous and just.
The objective is to turn the people more towards God’s way. Similar to a relationship in which two work together as one to make the amazing happen, the Creator of more stars than we can count wants to bless us with more joys than the number of stars. He wants to make each day amazing and our tomorrows more amazing than today.
Lord, in your timing, all things will be made right. We know that You are for each of us and since we have accepted Your Son Jesus Christ into our heart, the future is bright. We can be at peace and focus on the good that will happen because of our trust in You. Amen.
Reaching for the stars
This Day With God - A Spiritual Journey 