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I just finished reading the book of Hosea. It has been on my heart all day, but I was avoiding reading it...it's not one of those 'happy books' that makes you want to get up and "change your world!" (Thank you Dr. Rutland) It's sobering. It makes you take a good and hard look at yourself. It is a book that will rip your heart up at the heartbreak of God because of the infidelity of His beloved people. Constantly throughout Hosea God is calling His people back to Himself, but they refuse, forgetting all God has done for them and following after their own desires.

God is not rebuking those who do not know Him in Hosea. He is speaking to HIS people - His children who have turned their backs on Him. He rebuked them for their religious acts and said "I don't want this! I don't want your sacrifices, I want you. I want you to know Me." It's our sin and religious attitudes that keep us from knowing Him.

How often do we go to church on Sunday mornings or read our Bibles out of duty...and then go on living our own lives according to our own desires. Behaving and carrying on in ways that clearly do not bring honor to God, but "everyone else does it," so we do too. Or, its as a friend of mine blogged about today, "just a little thing - it's not a big deal." Lets live above that. We have been set apart for so much more.

After God speaks about the punishment the Israelites will have to go through because of there sin and disobedience, He is constant about wanting to bring Israel back into His arms and heal them.

We serve such an amazing God. Let us live lives that show our gratefulness...we don't deserve the love He showers on us, but He still gives it and takes such great pleasure in doing so.