Posts with the tag “death”

Imagine making a New Year's resolution, full of hope and intention, yet as time slips away, the motivation dwindles and the goal seems out of reach. This is the very trap that Israel fell into in Hosea chapters 12 and 13. They thought the day of reckoning was too distant to worry about. But Hosea warned them: judgment isn't a distant event; it's closer than you think. Just like my failed attempts for a summer-ready body, Israel believed they had plenty of time to repent, yet the alarm clock of God's judgment was set, and the time was imminently approaching. Ultimately, their diplomatic maneuvers to avoid God's judgment were futile. They, like many today, relied on worldly wisdom instead of divine guidance. Yet amid judgment, Hosea provides a glimmer of hope: a promise of resurrection and restoration through repentance and faith in God, a message echoed by Paul in 1 Corinthians as he speaks of victory through Jesus Christ. Let us heed the call to hold fast to love and justice, to return to the Lord before time runs out.  Read More