Hosea 9

Wow, What a year this has been.  I started the year off gung-ho with a list of goals that I planned to accomplish.  As the days have passed, things just have not gone the way I planned.  Work has been busier than I anticipated, finances have been tighter than I anticipated, and life situations have distracted me from what I hoped to accomplish.  I look back at the past 8 months and wonder where in the world it has gone.  It is in this time of contemplating that I have 1 of 2 choices that I can make; 1. I can lament over the past 8 months and my lack of accomplishments, or 2. I can dust off my goals, re-evaluate, and focus on what will be accomplished over the next 4 months.

10 "When I found Israel,
       it was like finding grapes in the desert;
       when I saw your fathers,
       it was like seeing the early fruit on the fig tree.

What in the world happened?  How did Israel go from the description of blessing in vs 10 to the curse described in vs 14

 14 Give them, O LORD—
       what will you give them?
       Give them wombs that miscarry
       and breasts that are dry.

Israel did not wake up one morning and decide that they were no longer going to follow after the ways of the Lord.  Spiritual atrophy does not occur overnight.  Atrophy occurs due to a lack of use, poor nutrition, poor circulation, or disease.  How are we feeding, exercising, and maintaining our spiritual nature?

No doubt Israel had goals and vision for their future.  No doubt they did not anticipate straying so far from the direction that God wanted to take them.  However, as easy as I described my losing site of my goals for the year, we can lose site of our Spiritual direction.  Don't let the distractions of life force you onto a path that was never intended.

Over the last few months we have heard "The Prophet in the Pulpit" speak a direction and a vision to our church.  Let us listen to the words of the Prophet that God has placed in our lives, wipe the dust off our spiritual goals and roadmap, and refocus on where we are going in God.

God, it is my prayer that our lives are pleasing to you.  Don't let us be distracted with the static and voices around us, but help us to focus on the clearness of your Word and allow it to become the lamp unto our feet and the light unto our path.  Allow us to release our fears of failing and hold on to the comfort of your Grace knowing that you are in control.

Jeff McGee