Do you write in your Bible - make notes to remember later? I do sometimes, more frequently a while ago than current days. Today though, in reading Max Lucado's devotional, "Grace For the Moment," I came to Hosea 2:19 and his comment -- "God's goal is not to get you what you want; it is to get you what you need."
This last part made me think of all my notes, which are really there for what I need, and since I was in Hosea, I thought I would share my notes from there. My comments are in (purple).
Hosea 4: 1-2: "...There is no truth (faithfulness) or mercy (faithful love) or knowledge of God in the land,
By swearing and lying, killing and stealing and committing adultery, they break all restraint, with bloodshed after bloodshed (rebellion, full strength)."
v. 6a: "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. ... "
6:6: "For I desire mercy and not sacrifice. And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings." (God wants more than ritual, more than an attitude of merely paying dues to stay in the club.)
14: 4-6: "I will heal their backsliding (God will heal us when we have turned away), I will love them freely, For My anger has turned away from him. ... I will be like the dew (God's life-giving power) to Israel; He shall grow like the lily, and strengthen his roots like Lebanon (His word has great value). ... His branches shall spread; His beauty shall be like an olive tree, And his fragrance like Lebanon (fruitfulness)."
v. 9: "Who is wise? Let him understand these things. Who is prudent? Let him know them. For the ways of the Lord are right; The righteous walk in them, But transgressors stumble in them."
Acknowledging God means more than having a head knowledge. To acknowledge Him means that we allow Him to invade our lives for His purposes. We acknowledge Him when we give action to our lip service about what we believe.
The way of the Lord is always right ... and true ... and just.
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