Verse and a Quote Day 1

Verse: “Come, let us return to the Lord; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up. (Hosea 6:1)


Quote: A "god' whose will is resisted, whose designs are frustrated, whose purpose is checkmated, possesses no title to Deity, and so far from being a fit object of worship, merits nought but contempt. A.W. Pink

I have been thinking lately about why I should blog. What do I have to say that other more qualified theologians and Bible teachers could say better. Then it dawned on me that I could post something I have been doing lately. I have been studying the book of Hosea the past few months and when I get done reading it and studying it I usually look for thinks men in Christian history have said about the particular verse I am reading or about the subject I pull out of the chapter I just got done reading. So starting today and as often as I can I will be posting a key verse in my morning devotional and a quote that caught my eye that I believe fits that verse or my thoughts as I read that verse.

Today I chose Hosea 6:1.We see Hosea heralding the fact that Israel should return to their God. He tells them that just as God has broken them down, He will build them back up. As I read this I couldn't help but think of Isaiah 64:8 and the fact that we are clay in the potters hands. God is constantly molding us into the men and women He desires us to be. So often we make ourselves the potter and make God the clay. We tell god that we don't like the path He has chosen for us. How often have you looked at the path that God has chosen for you and said to yourself, "I like this path because it has less pain and resistance"? How often have you not liked the way God is molding you so you took matters into your own hands? When I get this way, and I wish I could say it was something that I rarely struggle with, I remember Romans 9:21. God is soveriegn over everything, especially my life.

In that vain I saw this quote from A.W. Pink. Why would we chose to worship a god that we can manipulate? Why would we worship a god that we make mold into our beliefs? Seems foolish, huh? Yet so often we do this exact thing. Many people call themselves Christians and yet reject the fact that Jesus died for our sins. Many call themselves Christians and focus only on the attributes of God that jive with their beliefs. So often people claim Christ, but allow sin to reign and not the Holy Spirit within them. Why worship the God we create in our heads? Why worship a God that we make out of metal and trees? I pray that we all would worship the one God that is the potter. I pray that we would believe that the Potter is sovereign and knows what is best for us. I pray that we would allow the Potter to mold us into the men and women He wants us to be. As Hosea 6:1 says, He will heal us and bind our wounds after He has torn us and broken us.

Peace!