WHAT GOD DESIRES

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

What shall I do with you, O Ephraim? What shall I do with you, O Judah? Your love is like a morning cloud, like the dew that goes away early. 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.”

Hosea 6:4-6 (NRSV)

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

What does God desire from us in life?

It’s a question we all should consider because anything that God wants from us should be our first priority.

As we look at today’s scripture passage, continuing our study of Hosea 6, we find God giving His people (and that includes us) two specific things that He wants, things He expects His people will carry out in full obedience. See if you can identify these two items as you look again at these verses:

What shall I do with you, O Ephraim? What shall I do with you, O Judah? Your love is like a morning cloud, like the dew that goes away early. 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.”  Hosea 6:4-6 (NRSV)

Verse 6 holds the key to the earlier question: What does God desire?

First, He wants our steadfast love and He wants it more than any outwardly expression of worship like sacrifices in Old Testament days. The Israelites had been anything but dedicated in the way they expressed their affection unto God. In fact, we know they had blatantly abandoned Him, pushing Him aside to worship false gods and idols instead, false gods and idols that were as dead as the Israelites’ faith.

This was in direct violation of God’s commands to have no other gods before Him (Exodus 20:3-4a) but the people didn’t care. They were completely indifferent to their sinfulness and how they had turned away from God, their love compared to a dew that appears early but soon evaporates and is not seen again. And so God sent His judgment on His people but not before trying to convince them to change their ways through His prophets, warnings that the people ignored as much as God Himself.

If we’re not careful today, we might find ourselves allowing our devotion to be directed away from God just as the Israelites of Hosea’s day did. We can ensure we don’t allow this to happen by making the Lord the full object of our affection, loving Him in a way that is consistent, persistent, and steadfast, just like He desires.

After all, Jesus did say this when asked about the greatest commandment:

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. Mark 12:30

The second desire we find God having is that all His people would seek His knowledge for if they did this then they would know His word, will, and way. The Lord yearned for the Israelites to never stop hungering and thirsting for His guidance, a guidance that would always lead them to His righteousness and a life that would be pleasing in His sight.

To that end, God even provided His people this command from the Proverbs:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5

The main problem with the Israelites is that they were relying on their own understanding and chasing after the things they wanted in the world. God was a complete afterthought and so He took action to get their attention so they would turn back to Him and seek His knowledge and direction. Seventy years of exile will have a way of doing that to people, the penalty God imposed for the Israelites’ wickedness.

Today, God still expects us to ever seek Him, openly reaching out for the ways He wants us to go and the wisdom and information He will equip us with to fulfill His purposes. He still expects and demands that we will place nothing ahead of Him in our lives.

So what does God desire?

It’s easy. He wants us to give Him everything, to fully surrender to Him in every way, to make His desires our own. Today and every day, seek Him where He might be found, within His word and Spirit, and give Him your full love and devotion, just as He does unto you.

Do that and I assure you that you find yourself blessed and fulfilled in ways you never imagined.

Amen

In Christ,

Mark
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