SUMMARY: Joyless
OVERVIEW: Real joy is absent in Israel because of their rebellion against God and their unfaithfulness.
BIG IDEA: No God? No peace. (Know God. Know peace.)
KEY VERSE: Hosea 9:1 (Hosea to Israel)
O people of Israel, do not rejoice as other nations do. For you have been unfaithful to your God, hiring yourselves out like prostitutes, worshiping other gods on every threshing floor.
IF GOD WROTE YOU A LETTER
If you turn away from me, I will always invite you to return and make peace with me. Don’t dwell on your sin and be overwhelmed by it. Confess it and be free. Once you acknowledge your sin, I forgive you—simple as that. But until then, the Holy Spirit will seek to persuade you to humble yourself. He will convict you, not to shame you, but to help you see your unwise choices and wicked ways.
Do not ignore the Spirit’s work in your life. Do not disregard me or mock my ways. The more you do that, the harder the shell forms around your heart. In the end, I will allow you to reap what you have sown. If you want to live separately from me or believe your way is greater than mine, I will allow you to choose your adventure. But I invite you to a full and whole life. You may not think it’s unattractive, but I have so much I want to give you and show you. Follow me and find out.
NEXT STEP
Don’t look for comfort or satisfaction in people or things when you are rejecting God. Confess any sin and return to God. Seek God today and him God for the courage to follow where he leads you.
SONG