Applying God's Word to Our Lives: According to the Minor Prophets
"Even though I gave them all my laws, they act as if those laws don’t apply to them."
-Hosea 8:12
Sometimes when listening to sermons, I will think to myself, "Boy, I wish this person was sitting here right now hearing this." We've all had that thought. The Israelites were constantly known for applying God's laws to others and finding fault in them than in themselves. We deflect God's Word when we do this, and put off or don't recognize the changes we need to make in our own lives. The application of God's Word fits us all not just the "bad" people, or the people who get on your nerves and drive you crazy. Often times the faults we find in others are our faults too.
What are the areas of our lives where we need to repent? Just to give a few personal examples, sometimes I can have a bad mouth especially when I get upset. I desire things I shouldn't. When we repent, we should ask God to not only forgive but to help us control ourselves. To take away desires. Stay away from whatever stimulates that sin. There is a verse in Joel 2:13 '"Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish."' I love how it says tear your heart, that means to become broken. Strip away everything in your life exposing your filth to God and allowing Him to clean you up.
The minor Prophet, Amos is about not being judgmental of others, rather we seek out what is wrong in our lives...it builds on what was said in Hosea, and Joel. We all continue to learn and grow in the Lord. As we grow in the Lord and His truths it becomes easier not to give in to sin.
Instead of judging a friend who maybe lost, or anyone for that matter, when is the last time we cried over them, and prayed earnestly for them. Or even better when was the last time you cried over your own spiritual darkness? Repentance. Look at Jonahs little expedition in his book. He got upset about God having mercy on Ninevah, and got just as equally upset about the plant God grew to shade him but also sent a worm to eat it. God said to Jonah " “You feel sorry about the plant, though you did nothing to put it there. It came quickly and died quickly. But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals. Shouldn’t I feel sorry for such a great city?”" Jonah needed an attitude adjustment, we need to give our attitudes to God, and ask Him to replace it with His attitude.
Sometimes I try to pray before church that I would receive what God has for me through the music, sermon, and the people I encounter. Sometimes I go to church with an attitude, but I have found when I do that I missed a lot of blessing and things God wanted for my life. We should go to church expecting great things for our lives. Same thing when we read the Bible, read it expecting great things. What is God trying to teach us through His Word? Lately, in my reading the word "integrity" comes up almost everyday. When we pray, we should pray expecting to hear from God. When we sing, we should sing expecting to feel God's power and conviction fall on us, and sing not to show the congregation or the church leaders how good we are but sing to a merciful Savior who loves us in spite of all we've done. Surrender ourselves to Him.
-Hosea 8:12
Sometimes when listening to sermons, I will think to myself, "Boy, I wish this person was sitting here right now hearing this." We've all had that thought. The Israelites were constantly known for applying God's laws to others and finding fault in them than in themselves. We deflect God's Word when we do this, and put off or don't recognize the changes we need to make in our own lives. The application of God's Word fits us all not just the "bad" people, or the people who get on your nerves and drive you crazy. Often times the faults we find in others are our faults too.
What are the areas of our lives where we need to repent? Just to give a few personal examples, sometimes I can have a bad mouth especially when I get upset. I desire things I shouldn't. When we repent, we should ask God to not only forgive but to help us control ourselves. To take away desires. Stay away from whatever stimulates that sin. There is a verse in Joel 2:13 '"Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish."' I love how it says tear your heart, that means to become broken. Strip away everything in your life exposing your filth to God and allowing Him to clean you up.
The minor Prophet, Amos is about not being judgmental of others, rather we seek out what is wrong in our lives...it builds on what was said in Hosea, and Joel. We all continue to learn and grow in the Lord. As we grow in the Lord and His truths it becomes easier not to give in to sin.
Instead of judging a friend who maybe lost, or anyone for that matter, when is the last time we cried over them, and prayed earnestly for them. Or even better when was the last time you cried over your own spiritual darkness? Repentance. Look at Jonahs little expedition in his book. He got upset about God having mercy on Ninevah, and got just as equally upset about the plant God grew to shade him but also sent a worm to eat it. God said to Jonah " “You feel sorry about the plant, though you did nothing to put it there. It came quickly and died quickly. But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals. Shouldn’t I feel sorry for such a great city?”" Jonah needed an attitude adjustment, we need to give our attitudes to God, and ask Him to replace it with His attitude.
Sometimes I try to pray before church that I would receive what God has for me through the music, sermon, and the people I encounter. Sometimes I go to church with an attitude, but I have found when I do that I missed a lot of blessing and things God wanted for my life. We should go to church expecting great things for our lives. Same thing when we read the Bible, read it expecting great things. What is God trying to teach us through His Word? Lately, in my reading the word "integrity" comes up almost everyday. When we pray, we should pray expecting to hear from God. When we sing, we should sing expecting to feel God's power and conviction fall on us, and sing not to show the congregation or the church leaders how good we are but sing to a merciful Savior who loves us in spite of all we've done. Surrender ourselves to Him.
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