Readings for today: Hosea 10-14
The Christian life is a righteous life. It is a life aligned with God’s heart and God’s will. It is a life lived in concert with God’s purposes and plans. It is a life of humility before the Lord. A life of peace with God. A life surrendered to His way and His truth. It is also a life that runs counter to the way of the world. It cuts against the grain of every human culture. It is a narrow way. A road less taken. A path less trodden. Not because it has been tried and found wanting but because it is has been found difficult and left untried. (GK Chesterton) Last evening, I sat around the table with people I love. They are young and just beginning to make their way in the world. They talked about their anxieties and fears. They talked about the temptations they face. They talked about how so many of their friends are hurting and suffering. And it broke my heart. Why do we resist the righteousness of God when the unrighteousness of this world has so little to offer in return?
Perhaps that’s why I love what the prophet Hosea says in our reading today. “Sow righteousness for yourselves and reap faithful love; break up your unplowed ground. It is time to seek the Lord until he comes and sends righteousness on you like the rain.” (Hosea 10:12 CSB) I have found these words to be true in my own life. The more I surrender to the Lord, the more I experience the blessing of His abiding presence in my life. The more I align my life with His life, the more I find fulfillment and contentment and joy. The more I seek His face and obey His commands, the more I am at peace. No longer at war with myself. No longer at war with those around me. No longer at war with the world. Most importantly, no longer at war with God.
Regular self-examination is the key or as Hosea puts it, “breaking up your unplowed ground.” There is so much of my life and heart and thoughts and feelings that has yet to examined. So much ground in my life that has yet to be plowed. So much I am not even aware of and that is why coming before the Lord daily and asking His Spirit to till the soil of my heart is critical. As the Spirit breaks up the unplowed ground, new life emerges. He sows the seeds of righteousness and I reap the fruit of faithful love. This requires intentionality. One must regularly and often submit themselves to the Holy Spirit. It also requires humility. One must surrender to His will when unrighteous aspects of one’s life are revealed. We must let go of thoughts, attitudes, and actions that are not aligned with God. We must be willing to reprioritize and reorder our loves so we might align with His love. Self-examination is one of the primary ways we “seek the Lord until He comes” and it is one of the most effective ways to pursue righteousness in your life.
Readings for tomorrow: Isaiah 1-4