Daryl Pint – Page 248

Start a fire in my soul

“and because you have done worse than your fathers, for behold, every one of you follows his stubborn, evil will, refusing to listen to me.”

Hosea 7:10
The pride of Israel testifies to his face;
yet they do not return to the Lord their God,
nor seek him, for all this.

Isaiah 9:13
But the people have not returned to him who struck them,
nor have they sought the Lord Almighty.

Daniel 9:13
As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this calamity has come upon us; yet we have not entreated the favor of the Lord our God, turning from our iniquities and gaining insight by your truth. Therefore the Lord has kept ready the calamity and has brought it upon us, for the Lord our God is righteous in all the works that he has done, and we have not obeyed his voice.

Jeremiah 16:11
Because your fathers have forsaken me, declares the Lord, and have gone after other gods and have served and worshiped them, and have forsaken me and have not kept my law, and because you have done worse than your fathers, for behold, every one of you follows his stubborn, evil will, refusing to listen to me.

What is it you would say to God if He spoke these words to you: “you follow your stubborn, evil will, refusing to listen to me.” – “you have not sought the me the Lord Almighty” – “you did not seek Me” – “your fathers have done bad but you have done worse” – “why don’t you return to Me”- “you do not obey My voice” – “you do not turn from your sin” – “you do not look for insight or truth”?????? If you do not spend time in His word how will He speak truth into your heart and mind? How will you know His promises? Where will you find hope in times of trouble/trials? Where will you find peace and rest? How will you serve Him if you do not know Him? How can you ever say that His word is a lamp unto your path? How can you say I trust in You alone for my strength? Do you want to find peace, hope, rest, joy, and purpose in your life? Spend time in His word. Seek Him. Desire Him. Listen to what He is saying to your heart and mind. Obey Him and humbly serve Him. Like the song says Lord start a fire in our soul for You.

Heart Pierced

“Your own conduct and actions
have brought this on you.
This is your punishment.
How bitter it is!
How it pierces to the heart!”

Hosea 7:2
But they do not consider
that I remember all their evil.
Now their deeds surround them;
they are before my face.

Jeremiah 2:19
Your wickedness will punish you;
your backsliding will rebuke you.
Consider then and realize
how evil and bitter it is for you
when you forsake the Lord your God
and have no awe of me,”
declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.

Jeremiah 4:18
“Your own conduct and actions
have brought this on you.
This is your punishment.
How bitter it is!
How it pierces to the heart!”

Jeremiah 14:10
This is what the Lord says about this people:
“They greatly love to wander;
they do not restrain their feet.
So the Lord does not accept them;
he will now remember their wickedness
and punish them for their sins.”

Micah 7:3
Both hands are skilled in doing evil;
the ruler demands gifts,
the judge accepts bribes,
the powerful dictate what they desire—
they all conspire together.
The best of them is like a brier,
the most upright worse than a thorn hedge.

God has been speaking to my heart about the importance of growing knowledge and understanding of Him. He has been leading me through various scriptures that speak of the natural way of man who, for but a season, seem to follow Him with their whole heart, mind and soul but then, for some reason, they choose to think they have gained enough knowledge and understanding. Their lives reflect a form of godliness but the depth of their walk with Him is very shallow. This shallowness is reflected in pretending they are ok and they perform as though there is no need. Lost on an ocean. Scripture is very clear on what is in store for those who willing choose this path of little commitment. Verses like this one in Revelation; “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.” God’s word is sharper than a two edged sword and able to divide the thoughts and intents of our heart and mind. How are we to reflect the light of Christ (the word in us) when there is no time spend in it, no time thinking about what it says, no ability to hear God speaking His truth into our lives???? My wife and I recently went on a mission trip with 15 other believers. It was our first. I was so humbled by the commitment of each of them and how God was speaking into their lives. Leaders of CTSP (Cross Training Sports Camps) have continued multiple mission trips to Roatan for 13 years with many trials along the way. People being saved, sick people close to death getting emergency medical attention and lived, morning and noon food programs for the hungry, bible classes, guidance for fatherless young men and women, love for those who see no love, building a youth center, and many more God inspired actions. Another person had been on over 25 trips and others less. Some of us it was our first but what amazed me was the depth of each of their walks with God, how He was speaking into their lives, and their commitment to follow His leading. Not all are called to lead a foreign mission but for sure we are all called to walk humbly before God with a servant heart growing in understanding and knowledge of Him, and able to discern that quiet small voice of the Holy Spirits leading and finding our purpose in honoring and glorifying Him.

Steadfast vs Meaningless

“I desire to do your will, my God;
your law is within my heart.”

Hosea 6:6
For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,
the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

1 Samuel 15:22
But Samuel replied:
“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as in obeying the Lord?
To obey is better than sacrifice,
and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
For rebellion is like the sin of divination,
and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
he has rejected you as king.”

Isaiah 1:11
“The multitude of your sacrifices—
what are they to me?” says the Lord.
“I have more than enough of burnt offerings,
of rams and the fat of fattened animals;
I have no pleasure
in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.
When you come to appear before me,
who has asked this of you,
this trampling of my courts?
Stop bringing meaningless offerings!
Your incense is detestable to me.
New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations—
I cannot bear your worthless assemblies.
Your New Moon feasts and your appointed festivals
I hate with all my being.
They have become a burden to me;
I am weary of bearing them.
When you spread out your hands in prayer,
I hide my eyes from you;
even when you offer many prayers,
I am not listening.
Your hands are full of blood!
Wash and make yourselves clean.
Take your evil deeds out of my sight;
stop doing wrong.
Learn to do right; seek justice.
Defend the oppressed.
Take up the cause of the fatherless;
plead the case of the widow.
“Come now, let us settle the matter,”
says the Lord.

Jeremiah 4:22
“My people are fools;
they do not know me.
They are senseless children;
they have no understanding.

Mica 6:8
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.

Matt 12:32
Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

I recently spent time in Roatan, Honduras and met some fine young men. The one thing I was so encouraged about was their heart for God and how open they were to talk about it. There was no desire on their part to impress or judge it was a pure heart to talk about God and their walk and struggles with this walk. Their heart desire was to seek knowledge and understanding of His word and being able to apply it in their lives. These young men have struggles that we can’t even comprehend. Little or no father figure in their lives, cultural pressure from their friends, lack of consistent water, food, shelter, clothes, and yet they have chosen to serve, honor and glorify God. They spoke openly about sometimes not walking close to Him and I was so humbled by this openness. When we talk about how we are doing in our walk with God we don’t seem to open up and speak about all that sets us back. Even worse is sometimes we don’t even see how lacking we are. We pretend or perform trying to make ourselves right before God and man in our own eyes. The truth escapes us in this matter because we lack knowledge and understanding which comes from His word in our hearts and minds. I wonder if our submission to Christ is nothing more than an insurance policy against eternity in hell. How sad is this? Rather than being open and honest about our time in God’s word and application of it in our thoughts and actions we shrug it off because we don’t see immediate need or find time. I am not sure if I will see these young men again – I certainly plan on it – their names are written on my heart “Bebe, Jorvick, Pablo, Menfy, Hubert, Richard, Jonny, Jason, Christopher, Bryan, Carry, Oral”. Please keep them in your prayers of protection, guidance, and blessing from God.

Return to the Lord

“Restore us, O LORD God of hosts!
Let your face shine, that we may be saved!”

Hosea 6:1
“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.
After two days he will revive us;
on the third day he will raise us up,
that we may live before him.
Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord;
his going out is sure as the dawn;
he will come to us as the showers,
as the spring rains that water the earth.”

Psalms 71:20
You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again. You will increase my greatness and comfort me again.

John 2:20
Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking about the temple of his body. When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

Corinthians 15:3
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures

Luke 24:46
“Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.

In the first 6 chapters of Hosea it talks about the falling away from following God, not seeking to know or understand God, choosing to do what seems right in our own eyes, and the consequence to a nation and people because of it. Now we read acknowledgement of His hand against them and a plea to return to the Lord. Why? “That we may live before Him.” And Hosea encourages with “Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord;” We all get busy with life but is this any reason to choose to NOT seek and know the Lord. Scripture tells us over and over again that in times of peace and prosperity people (us included) choose to seek everything under the sun but God. We choose sports, relaxation, boats, vacation homes, hiking, work, TV, music, …. and the list goes on doesn’t it. We can always find reasons to be busy and never enough time to seek and know God, however when trials and problems comes our way our focus changes and we seem to find time for God then. Seems like a very shallow commitment doesn’t it. Hosea’s word ring loud “Let us return to the Lord, Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord;”

Running Away

” I will return again to my place,
until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face,
and in their distress earnestly seek me.”

Hosea 5:13
When Ephraim saw his sickness,
and Judah his wound,
then Ephraim went to Assyria,
and sent to the great king.
But he is not able to cure you
or heal your wound.
For I will be like a lion to Ephraim,
and like a young lion to the house of Judah.
I, even I, will tear and go away;
I will carry off, and no one shall rescue.
I will return again to my place,
until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face,
and in their distress earnestly seek me.

Isaiah 1:5
Why will you still be struck down?
Why will you continue to rebel?
The whole head is sick,
and the whole heart faint.
From the sole of the foot even to the head,
there is no soundness in it,
but bruises and sores
and raw wounds;
they are not pressed out or bound up
or softened with oil.

Ezekiel 6:9
how I have been broken over their whoring heart that has departed from me and over their eyes that go whoring after their idols. And they will be loathsome in their own sight for the evils that they have committed, for all their abominations. And they shall know that I am the Lord. I have not said in vain that I would do this evil to them.”

Are you looking for God to return into your life? Are you wondering where God is in your life? Why does it seem like there are times when God seems so far away? When it says “I have been broken over their whoring heart that has departed from me and over their eyes that go whoring after their idols” – does it speak to your heart? God is alive, He sees all, He knows all and nothing is shielded from His seeing and knowing. He knows our commitment, our desire, and our thoughts. Knowing this He sent His son to be a sacrifice so that we could have communion with Him. He did this out of grace and mercy to draw unto Him a people who want to humbly serve Him, who desire above all else to honor and glorify Him, who live for Him and His purpose. If God seems far away or distant it is not because of Him not pursuing in love, but rather because of our want to do what is right in our own eyes without giving any thought to service to Him. I can’t even comprehend how much time I’ve wasted on things that bring no honor or glory to God. How much time have I spent thinking about temporary things this side of eternity without any thought to serving Him and what His purpose is. Many times we are reminded in scripture how generations lost all knowledge and understanding of God and yet I wonder how it looks in God’s eyes to see a generation with God’s word so easily available yet treated as nothing more than dust on table.

Separation

“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save,
or his ear dull, that it cannot hear;
but your iniquities have made a separation
between you and your God,
and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.”

Hosea 5:4
Their deeds do not permit them
to return to their God.
For the spirit of whoredom is within them,
and they know not the Lord.
The pride of Israel testifies to his face;
Israel and Ephraim shall stumble in his guilt;
Judah also shall stumble with them.
With their flocks and herds they shall go
to seek the Lord,
but they will not find him;
he has withdrawn from them.
They have dealt faithlessly with the Lord;

Isaiah 59:1
Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save,
or his ear dull, that it cannot hear;
but your iniquities have made a separation
between you and your God,
and your sins have hidden his face from you
so that he does not hear.

Jeremiah 5:24
Let us fear the Lord our God,
who gives the rain in its season,
the autumn rain and the spring rain,
and keeps for us
the weeks appointed for the harvest.’
Your iniquities have turned these away,
and your sins have kept good from you.

How many times does God have to warn us of consequences? “Your sins have kept good from you” – “Your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear” – “Your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God” – “Their deeds do not permit them to return to God”. We have freedom to choose each day. For the most part we choose what time we get up, what we eat, what we wear, what we drink, how we will speak to one another, what we read, what we will spend time on, …… AND whether or not we will fear God and humbly serve Him for His honor and glory from sunrise to sunset. How many times do we read about how in times of peace the people fell away from God and entire generations did not know Him or what He had done or said and the consequences of it. Either the “lack of” or seeking for “knowledge and understanding” of God, within a generation, depends on each of us. First within our families and then within friends, neighbors, towns, states, country and to all parts of the world. We are told to go out and make disciples in all of these places. How do we make disciples of the God when all day long we choose to ignore knowledge and understanding of Him – When we choose to spend our time not serving or living for Him – When we do not commit to being used by Him – When we choose to not to read and obey His word – When we choose to not listen for His voice speaking to our heart. Joshua said “Choose this day whom you will serve – as for me and my family we will serve the Lord. David said “Search my heart oh God and see if there is any offensive way within me and lead me in paths that glorify you”

Rejected knowledge

“Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation”

Hosea 4:6
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge;
because you have rejected knowledge,
I reject you from being a priest to me.
And since you have forgotten the law of your God,
I also will forget your children.
The more they increased,
the more they sinned against me;
I will change their glory into shame.
They feed on the sin of my people;
they are greedy for their iniquity.
And it shall be like people, like priest;
I will punish them for their ways
and repay them for their deeds.

Exodus 19:5
and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.

Proverbs 1:28
Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;
they will seek me diligently but will not find me.
Because they hated knowledge
and did not choose the fear of the Lord,
would have none of my counsel
and despised all my reproof,
therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way,
and have their fill of their own devices.

They hated knowledge. They rejected knowledge. They lacked knowledge. They did not choose the fear of the Lord. And because of this God said: “I will reject you.” “I will punish you.” “I will not answer them.” “I will forget your children.” “I will not allow them to find me.” “I will let them eat the fruit of their ways.” “I will change the glory to shame.” These are all recorded and given to us for the purpose of knowledge, understanding, insight, and warning. Why is it that we listen to God’s saving grace and mercy but live not serving, not fearing, not listening, not desiring, not seeking, not obeying…….? Your life will not have any true peace, rest, purpose without total surrender to Him. Choose to desire Him. Choose to seek Him. Choose to honor and glorify Him. Choose knowledge of Him. Choose Him above all this world has to offer. Keep track today and see where your thoughts are and what your actions are. Are they in line with Gods word? Are they what would honor and glorify God? Are they out of a desire to humbly serve and honor and glorify God?

No Faithfulness

“There is no faithfulness or steadfast love,
and no knowledge of God in the land;”

Hosea 4:1
Hear the word of the Lord, O children of Israel,
for the Lord has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land.
There is no faithfulness or steadfast love,
and no knowledge of God in the land;
there is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery;
they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed.
Therefore the land mourns,
and all who dwell in it languish,
and also the beasts of the field
and the birds of the heavens,
and even the fish of the sea are taken away.
Yet let no one contend,
and let none accuse,
for with you is my contention, O priest.
You shall stumble by day;
the prophet also shall stumble with you by night;
and I will destroy your mother.

Isaiah 3:13
The Lord has taken his place to contend;
he stands to judge peoples.

Jeremiah 25:31
The clamor will resound to the ends of the earth,
for the Lord has an indictment against the nations;
he is entering into judgment with all flesh,
and the wicked he will put to the sword,
declares the Lord.’

Micah 6:2
Hear, you mountains, the indictment of the Lord,
and you enduring foundations of the earth,
for the Lord has an indictment against his people,

Have you ever thought about what you would say in the presence of God? Or what you would say if you knew you were coming before God and He was judging you? Before coming up with what you would say remember that God is all knowing. Scripture says He knows the intent of the heart, that His judgements are true, that He knows our thoughts and sees all of our actions. Do we understand the depth of this? Scripture says that we are to love our God with all our heart, mind and soul – Do we? This would tell us that God should be ever present in our heart, mind and soul – Is it every minute of the day? Do we find meaning for every day by staying in His word? Do we meditate on it day and night? Do we write it on our heart? Do we post it on our doors? Do we actively choose to hear Him speak into our heart and mind through His word? I fear that our time with Him is more of a “checked box of I did it today” and not out of desire and love and truly wanting to serve Him. I think about what David wrote in Psalms 139:23 “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” This is a heart cry of what it means to desire Him with all your heart with the single purpose of each day living to honor and glorify Him.

Return

“Only acknowledge your guilt,
that you rebelled against the Lord your God”

Hosea 2:20
I will betroth you to me in faithfulness. And you shall know the Lord.
“And in that day I will answer, declares the Lord,
I will answer the heavens,
and they shall answer the earth,
and the earth shall answer the grain, the wine, and the oil,
and they shall answer Jezreel,
and I will sow her for myself in the land.
And I will have mercy on No Mercy,
and I will say to Not My People, You are my people’;
and he shall say, ‘You are my God.’”

Jeremiah 3:13
Only acknowledge your guilt,
that you rebelled against the Lord your God
and scattered your favors among foreigners under every green tree,
and that you have not obeyed my voice,
declares the Lord.
Return, O faithless children,
declares the Lord;
for I am your master;
I will take you, one from a city and two from a family,
and I will bring you to Zion.
“‘And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding. And when you have multiplied and been fruitful in the land, in those days, declares the Lord”

A voice on the bare heights is heard,
the weeping and pleading of Israel’s sons
because they have perverted their way;
they have forgotten the Lord their God.
“Return, O faithless sons;
I will heal your faithlessness.”
“Behold, we come to you,
for you are the Lord our God.

Zechariah 8:16
These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace; do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath, for all these things I hate, declares the Lord.”

Yesterday we saw from scripture that in times of prosperity the chance is great for moral decline. God is faithful even when we are not. He is true even when we are not. God is present even when we do not acknowledge Him. Look how God pleads with man in the verses from today: , – “Only acknowledge your guilt, that you rebelled against the Lord your God” – “Return, O faithless sons; I will heal your faithlessness”, – “And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding”. Moral decline happens when men and women do not acknowledge God or seek knowledge and understanding of Him, and no longer listen to or for His voice, they do not speak truth to one another. In the end they have forgotten His word and have no moral compass other than what seems right in their own eyes. Stay in His word, desire Him, listen to Him, and obey His leading. To speak truth to one another you must know what truth is.

Moral Decline

“Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.”

Hosea 1:6
She conceived again and bore a daughter. And the Lord said to him, “Call her name No Mercy, for I will no more have mercy on the house of Israel, to forgive them at all. But I will have mercy on the house of Judah, and I will save them by the Lord their God. I will not save them by bow or by sword or by war or by horses or by horsemen.”
When she had weaned No Mercy, she conceived and bore a son. And the Lord said, “Call his name Not My People, for you are not my people, and I am not your God.”
Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered. And in the place where it was said to them, “You are not my people,” it shall be said to them, “Children of the living God.

Isaiah 62:1
For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet,
until her righteousness goes forth as brightness,
and her salvation as a burning torch.
The nations shall see your righteousness,
and all the kings your glory,
and you shall be called by a new name
that the mouth of the Lord will give.
You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,
and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
You shall no more be termed Forsaken,
and your land shall no more be termed Desolate,

2 Corinthians 6:16
For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,
“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.
Therefore go out from their midst,
and be separate from them, says the Lord,
and touch no unclean thing;
then I will welcome you,
and I will be a father to you,
and you shall be sons and daughters to me,
says the Lord Almighty.”
Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.

Hosea was a prophet during a time when the norther kingdom was living in a time of peace and prosperity. Unfortunately with this peace and prosperity they did not stay close to God but rather had moral decline and the people chose to forget the living God to worship things made from wood, iron and stone. I keep reading scripture like this and wonder how I/we differ from these people. If you travel very far out of the US you know we are truly a blessed nation. Prosperity and for the most part peace, when compared to other areas around the world. Do you see a moral decline? Do you hear of alternative things to worship? Do you hear people talk about how all religions point to the same god? There is one God and only one path to Him. He sent His only son to redeem us through his sacrifice, to all who would cling to, rely on, and trust in this redeeming work of grace and mercy.