Living in the Spirit

June 8, 2023

Scripture Reading: Hosea 5:15-6:6
I will return again to my place
   until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face.

   In their distress they will beg my favor:
‘Come, let us return to the Lord;
   for it is he who has torn, and he will heal us;
   he has struck 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 appearing is as sure as the dawn;
he will come to us like the showers,
   like the spring rains that water the earth.’

What shall I do with you, O Ephraim?
   What shall I do with you, O Judah?

Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets,
   I have killed them by the words of my mouth,
   and my judgment goes forth as the light.
For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,
   the knowledge of God rather than burnt-offerings.

As a nation, we also give lip service to God if it does not interfere with the rest of our lives. That seems to be what Hosea is saying in this last segment of the scripture.

Your love is like a morning cloud,
   like the dew that goes away early.

Hosea structures this scripture in an interesting manner. He first describes God returning to his people and imagines a positive response in the next segment. The positive response was short-lived. We welcome God when it is convenient. We often turn to God when it is too late to avoid heartbreak.

Greed seems to be the primary idol of our day. We are willing to sell our souls for wealth and power, as are some of our leaders. Why do we not see that God created a world where all can be well if we only understand God’s vision of God’s world as being fueled by love? When we follow that concept, the Beloved Community blossoms for everyone.

Prayer: Lord, guide us through whole days, not just the time of the morning dew. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.