Restoring What Was Lost – Joel 2
How would you complete the following, “I wish that I had…”? These are words of regret. And all of us have things in our past that we wish we could change. Israel certainly did. As a result of their sin,
Author: Travis Snode
Cry to the Lord – Joel 1
Israel had just experienced an unprecedented calamity – total destruction of all crops and green things by locusts (v.4). No one had ever seen or heard of anything as devastating (v.2-3). The instruction of this chapter is for the people
The Way Back to God – Hosea 14
After many chapters of rebuke, Hosea 14 is one of hope. God offers to Israel a chance to be saved and to be healed. God desired to “heal their backsliding” and offered to “love them freely” for ‘[His] anger is
Destroying Yourself – Hosea 13
“O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help.” Hosea 13:9 Self-destruction is a sad thing to watch and an even sadder thing to endure. But that is what Israel was doing and what so many people
Missions and the Coronavirus
The whole world is reeling with the impact of the Coronavirus outbreak. It has impacted every part of our world, our lives, and our conversations. I was asked how the current global environment has impacted missionaries and how pastors and
Wait on Thy God Continually – Hosea 12
Once again, the Lord points out his problem with Israel (“Ephraim”). They are daily increasing lies and desolation, making covenants with other nations (v.1). They deceive and oppress (v.7). They covet (v.8) and disregard God’s prophets (v.10). They worship idols
Unfailing Love – Hosea 11
Much of Hosea denounces the sins of Israel and the judgment that will come. But judgment and chastisement come from hands of love, not hatred. In Hosea 11, we see how much it pained the Lord to chasten His people
Time to Seek the Lord – Hosea 10
Life for the farmer is very dependent on two things: his work and the weather. Israel was a farming nation and so God speaks to them in these terms. Despite their own efforts, they were an “empty vine” (v.1) and
Rejoice Not – Hosea 9
God’s assessment of Israel was dire. I have a feeling that the way they viewed their society was far different from the way He viewed it. They were engaging in all sorts of “liberated” practices such as idolatry, drunkenness, partying,
Back into Bondage – Hosea 8
The most significant event in the history of the nation of Israel was their deliverance from Egypt. Over and over again, it is referred to and remembered as a great demonstration of God’s redemptive power. Yet in Hosea 8:13, God