Object of Love_Hosea 11:8-11

In today's ODB devotional, it spoke about how God treasured Israel and how this great love of God now is showered on us, His beloved children through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus.  What struck me most is how God used Hosea, the prophet, to be an OBJECT LESSON to show us how beautiful His love truly is, and how OBEDIENT Hosea was.

"Hosea, a contemporary of prophets Isaiah and Micah, ministered primarily to the Northern Kingdom of Israel (Hosea 1:1). His prophetic ministry was unique because he not only communicated in words what God wanted to tell the Israelites, but he symbolically acted out these revelations (chs. 1, 3). Hosea was commanded to marry Gomer, a promiscuous woman, to show that “like an adulterous wife [Israel] is guilty of unfaithfulness to the Lord” (1:2). After Gomer’s unfaithfulness, Hosea was commanded to reconcile with her and to “love her as the Lord loves the Israelites” (3:1)."

Lord Father, how great and beautiful is Your LOVE for me, drawing me close to You despite my unfaithfulness, my sin. You reconciled me to Yourself through Your Son, Jesus, my Saviour, and forever I am within Your arms, here in this life and for all eternity.  As it is said in 8:39, "Nothing will be able to separate us (me) from the love of God." Thank you, Father!

God doesn't play favorites_Acts 10:34-35

God doesn't play favorites.  While the Israelites may have been His Chosen People, Jesus, Son of God, died for ALL that ALL may be saved.

While we may be different fro each other in form, colour, and culture, we are all created by Him in His image and likeness. Inside our outward shells, we are "constructed" in the same way and have the same colour of blood running through our veins. yet, there is so much hate around us as people have become wary of "what is different".  But different does not equate to danger not should it be a wall to separate us from fellowship with those who differ from us.

We have to look past the physical, and seek the heart of others, just as Christ did when He walked the earth.  1Samuel 16:7, "But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as a man sees: man looks on the the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."

Thank you, Lord, for how clearly You love all! Your salvation through Christ is for all nations because You do not play favorites.  You are good and just! Remove from me any bias or prejudice. Help me to always see  people the way Jesus did -- through eyes of love.

Don't turn your back on Jesus_John 6:66

Today's verse for the devotional on Our Daily Bread which I follow, John 6:66, dwelt on how many times the Jesus who IS doesn't fit into what we expect Him to be. We, of course, have only a limited understanding of the depth and width of His Majesty and Power. It was written in Isaiah 55:8-9, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways ,your ways,' declares the Lord. 'As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways and thoughts than your thoughts." We cannot even begin to think we truly know our God in heaven!

But what struck me with the chosen verse is that it had the number 666. Revelation 13:18, "This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of man. That number is 666." In Revelation 13:7, 14:11, 16:2, 19:20 and 20:4, all speak about what happens to those who have the "mark of the beast" or "mark of its name" -- all those who, like those in John 6:66, "...turned back and no longer followed Jesus." Our salvation rests on the saving grace of Jesus, His sacrifice on the cross. "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12.

Lord, Your coming is drawing near! Give me the boldness share Your gospel to those who haven't heard it yet, or those who have turned away from following Jesus.