Prophetic Messages

Prophetic messages usually conjure up gloom, doom, and judgement. The Old Testament prophets were messengers from God to warn hearers that God saw the sin that was rampant in their lives and He wanted something different for them.

I have been studying some of the prophets lately in my bible study. I dreaded the thought of traveling through the disaster stories and what punishments were coming if the people did not set things straight. It seemed I would be making my way into a downward spiral. I also thought that maybe I could pull out my pride and wrap it around me because I was not near as bad as what those people were. I missed the mark. In studying the prophets I found truth about God.

I found that 1. He wants His people to know and love Him in intimate relationship. 2. He wants us to know His goodness is so much greater that what we think is good in the world. 3.God is faithful to who He is as perfect and holy. He is unable to let sin go unpunished. 4. He is also perfect love. He cannot refuse His love even when we turn away from Him! 5. God grieves over our sin and the need for Him to punish. 6. His love will pay the price for our sin so we won't need to.

That is a great love! Yes, I need to read the prophets, recognize that their sin still lives in me, and then run to The Lover of my soul for forgiveness and redemption!

Today I finished studying Hosea. I found so many verses that gave me hope, set a mirror in front of me, and then showed me God's heart of love, compassion and healing. Hosea ends his prophecy with these words, "Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them; for the ways of the LORD are right, and the upright walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them."

The very best thing we can do for ourselves is to know God; how good, holy, just, and loving He is. Then turn our ear to hear His words in truth!

I hope you know how much God loves you.