Today's Scripture: Hosea 7-8
"This is the verdict: Light had come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil." - John 3:19
For those people who think that the God of the Old Testament is a God of wrath and judgment, with no mix of compassion and love, I recommend reading the book of Hosea. Admittedly, God does eventually unleash His wrath on those who disobey, but it is not His first impulse.
Day after day, sometimes year after year, He pleads with His people to repent and turn to Him. But finally the day of reckoning comes. In the section of Scripture before us, we find these words: "I wrote for them the many things of my law, but they regarded them as something alien" (Hosea 8:12). God had become a stranger--an alien--among His own people. Hosea records that the Word of God did not fit the people's lifestyle. They were glued to their idols. Sin and immorality were the order of the day. At long last these people had made their final decision: sin, rather than God.
You can be assured that the final act on their part did not happen overnight. It was a long time coming. And it started with a slight deviation from the path--a small sin, an act that looked quite harmless. But it resulted in disorder. So Hosea makes this chilling statement: "My God will cast them away, because they did not hearken unto him; and they shall be wanderers among the nations" (9:17 KJV).
Christian, take stock. Are you toying with something that displeases the Lord? Take steps to nip it in the bud. Put it to death before it gets a stranglehold on your life.
Prayer
Lord, have mercy on my wayward heart and draw me back to You. Great is Your faithfulness to me. Amen.
To Ponder
Does my lifestyle fit with God's Word?
Daily Smile:
What did the ocean say to the family at the beach?
Nothing, it just waved! 
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