Rescued

Recently, I visited the Humane Society to see their dogs. I found an aptly named, cute little golden Cairn terrier girl that had been recently surrendered. I put in an application for Sunny that was approved within a week. I paid the required fee and brought her home the next day. Once here, she settled at my feet as I read how Hosea paid the required fee for his wife Gomer and brought her home.

Hosea 3:1-2 – Then the Lord said to me, "Go and love your wife again, even though she commits adultery with another lover. This will illustrate that the Lord still loves Israel, even though the people have turned to other gods and love to worship them." So I bought her back for fifteen pieces of silver and five bushels of barley and a measure of wine. (NLT)

God's point was that He still loved Israel, though she was playing the whore by worshipping idols. She was apostate. What offended God most was Israel's wanton whoredom through worshipping pagan gods. Therefore, God was going to deal with her.

So, what's the point for today? My friends, societies that were previously shaped by Christian principles have forgotten God and His laws. We've run amuck after every whim of the flesh. We're no better than Hosea's wife. Although God sent Hosea to warn Israel, his message is for every age and every place where people forget God and give in to their own desires. In a misguided attempt to be loving, many churches have adopted political correctness, rather than the authority of Scripture. We Christians must change our ways. We must live according to the guidance of Scripture. We must stop rationalizing our moral choices as being the way God created us. Let's not buy that lie. We make our choices. We must change our course before it's too late.

Christians make up a large segment of society. If we truly love those who have gone astray, in the way God called Hosea to love those who had gone astray, we can influence the future direction of society by the choices each of us makes. We don't have to listen to, read, or view what's contrary to Scripture. We can tune our radio or television to programs with good moral principles, and read Christian books — and serve as salt and light, as Jesus calls us to be.

Prayer: Lord God, we've truly messed up. We've left Your awesome way to follow after our own desires. We confess our sin and plead for Your mercy, grace, and forgiveness, for Jesus' sake. Enable us to practice what we preach. Amen.

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