Short Reflection from Jonah 1-4

[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (OVU) as a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible]

[8:06 pm, 28/01/2022] S.R: 𝕁𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕙 𝟙:𝟞

"So the captain approached him and said, 'How is it that you are sleeping? Get up, call on your god. Perhaps your god will be concerned about us so that we will not perish.'"

It's possible that even a man of God could be sleeping in sin. That's why we need one another to help us wake up when we find ourselves snoring in sin!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕙 𝟚:𝟙𝟘

"Then the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah up onto the dry land."

God can deliver us from the mess of our own doing!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕙 𝟛:𝟞

"When the word reached the king of Nineveh, he arose from his throne, laid aside his robe from him, covered himself with sackcloth and sat on the ashes."

Hmm! We can't afford to think that Modiji or Yogi or Amit Shah doesn't need to hear the Gospel. Perhaps they will be like this king of Nineveh!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕙 𝟜:𝟙𝟙

"Should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals?"

God is a compassionate God. That's the virtue I desire to see more in me!

Short Reflection from Obadiah

[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (OVU) as a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible]

[8:23 pm, 27/01/2022] S.R: 𝕆𝕓𝕒𝕕𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟙:𝟙𝟘

"Because of violence to your brother Jacob, You will be covered with shame, And you will be cut off forever."

Indeed, blood is thicker than many things. We should learn to take care of our blood brothers, relatives. Edomites were punished by God for not helping their brethren, the Israelites.

Joseph's blood brother (through Rachel) was Benjamin. He treated him 5 times better when they came to Egypt. Something to think through... 🤔😎

Short Reflection from Amos 1-9

[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (OVU) as a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible]

𝔸𝕞𝕠𝕤 𝟙:𝟛, 𝟞, 𝟡, 𝟙𝟙, 𝟙𝟛

"Thus says the LORD, 'For three transgressions of _ _ _ and for four I will not revoke its punishment, Because they _ _ _'"

The judgment formula in Amos Chapter 1, occurs 5 times.

Three things are observed:

1. God is a sovereign judge. He shall bring justice.

2. God is a just judge. He shall repay each one accordingly.

3. God is a patient judge. He waits for people to repent, not striking them at first, but giving them chances and opportunities to mend their way.

This is the same God we worship!

 

𝔸𝕞𝕠𝕤 𝟚:𝟜-𝟝

"Thus says the LORD, 'For three transgressions of Judah and for four I will not revoke its punishment, Because they rejected the law of the LORD And have not kept His statutes; Their lies also have led them astray, Those after which their fathers walked. So I will send fire upon Judah And it will consume the citadels of Jerusalem.'"

The judgment formula continues in chapter 2. Now, upon God's chosen people. Indeed, God shall judge accordingly: each one shall give his account to Him!

 

𝔸𝕞𝕠𝕤 𝟛:𝟚

"You only have I chosen among all the families of the earth; Therefore, I will punish you for all your iniquities."

This sounds so scary when we read casually. But actually, what comforting words of punishment! Even in punishment, they can be comforted and be hopeful that God has chosen them to be His own. Punishments are to bring repentance unto God. Not to damn them.

This is true for Christians as well.

 

𝔸𝕞𝕠𝕤 𝟜:𝟙𝟚

"Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel; Because I will do this to you, Prepare to meet your God, O Israel."

It was told in Mount Sinai in a positive sense: Prepare to meet your God. It is told here in a negative sense. It is commanded to prepare for the coming of Christ, again in a positive sense. At the same time a negative one for those who wouldn't believe in Christ—face judgment!

 

𝔸𝕞𝕠𝕤 𝟝:𝟝-𝟞

"But do not resort to Bethel And do not come to Gilgal, Nor cross over to Beersheba; For Gilgal will certainly go into captivity And Bethel will come to trouble. "𝕊𝕖𝕖𝕜 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕃𝕆ℝ𝔻 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕞𝕒𝕪 𝕝𝕚𝕧𝕖, Or He will break forth like a fire, O house of Joseph, And it will consume with none to quench it for Bethel,"

There's no salvation under heaven except in God (Acts 4:12). David abandoned Saul's armour and relied on God's protection.  Joshua abandoned all military strategies and sought to obey God in marching around Jericho 7 times.

Seek God's way, His will, His time!

 

[11:22 am, 27/07/2022] S.R: 𝔸𝕞𝕠𝕤 𝟞:𝟙𝟜

"'For behold, I am going to raise up a nation against you, O house of Israel,' declares the LORD God of hosts, 'And they will afflict you from the entrance of Hamath To the brook of the Arabah.'"

Sin in life (maybe disobedience, unbridled tongue, lust, envy, worry, and even laziness) is already hard but if we don't fight them, God would raise up a great adversary for us to realize and repent unto the Lord. God always did that in the Bible times.

 

𝔸𝕞𝕠𝕤 𝟟:𝟝-𝟞

"Then I said, "Lord GOD, please stop! How can Jacob stand, for he is small?" The LORD changed His mind about this. "This too shall not be," said the Lord GOD."

This is one of the reasons why I am happy to be a pastor. To intercede for my church members and be answered by God.

Guys, maybe, certain calamity would have happened to you, if not for somebody's prayer! Could be your parents, friends, pastors, etc...

 

𝔸𝕞𝕠𝕤 𝟠:𝟜

"Hear this, you who trample the needy, to do away with the humble of the land"

There are some people who are poorer than us, richer than us, and just like us. Let's be compassionate to the poor, not take advantage of them. Let's pity the rich, not curse them. Let's not be envious of anyone! Rather, let's imitate our Lord, to be humble, to be compassionate, and to be gracious!

 

𝔸𝕞𝕠𝕤 𝟡:𝟙𝟙

"In that day I will raise up the fallen booth of David, And wall up its breaches; I will also raise up its ruins And rebuild it as in the days of old."

Our God is a God of Restoration. That's why every night we come before Him in confession, repentance, and confidence!

Resignation

God seems slow but all other ground

Is sinking sand,

The Lord is good, wise, and just;

Slowness must be the only way, the best.

 

I do not know my heart,

Unlike the Lord, I ain't smart.

Hope, delight, or despair,

Desiring or not, fair or unfair,

I will wait on God, my advocate;

All other ways are inadequate.

Short Reflection from Joel 1-3

[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (OVU) as a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible]

[6:35 am, 15/01/2022] S.R: 𝕁𝕠𝕖𝕝 𝟙:𝟛

"Tell your sons about it, And let your sons tell their sons, And their sons the next generation."

The responsibility of parents is shown here: to educate them in the way of the Lord. To pass on the legacy of God's greatness. To promise them with hope and to warn them of destruction.

 

𝕁𝕠𝕖𝕝 𝟚:𝟚𝟙

"Do not fear, O land, rejoice and be glad, For the LORD has done great things."

God always gives hope of deliverance, a promise of prosperity. For, indeed, all the hardships too are just to help His people realize that the life of a transgressor is hard, and the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.

 

𝕁𝕠𝕖𝕝 𝟛:𝟛

"They have also cast lots for My people, Traded a boy for a harlot And sold a girl for wine that they may drink."

We look at the immorality and wickedness of our world and wonder, how can God allow such and such things to happen under our very nose!

Well, it's not unprecedented. Worse things had happened already and will happen again, but God is absolutely in control.

A high view of God and a low view of man (ourselves) will give a lot of peace in our lives!

Short Reflection from Hosea 1-14

[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (OVU) as a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible]

[2:29 pm, 01/01/2022] S.R: ℍ𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕒𝟙:𝟙𝟘

'Yet the number of the sons of Israel Will be like the sand of the sea, Which cannot be measured or numbered; And in the place Where it is said to them, 'You are not My people,' It will be said to them, 'You are the sons of the living God.'"

The first book of Minor Prophets begins with the revelation of God's amazing love for His people. Never doubt the love of God, friends!

The Israelites were so rebellious that God decided to discipline them, but He wouldn't destroy them completely. Rather, He would turn their designation from "My people" to " My sons."

No longer only random people, but God's children. We, Christians are likewise, children of God. Let's live like sons and daughters of God in assurance, confidence, and righteousness!

 

ℍ𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕤 𝟚:𝟙𝟞

"'It will come about in that day,' declares the LORD, 'That you will call Me Ishi And will no longer call Me Baali.'"

Another deeper expression of relationship after discipline. Earlier, God was Israel's Lord (Baali, in Hebrew); after the discipline, God shall be Israel's husband (Ishi, in Hebrew).

God is not only your Boss, but your Babe (Lover/Husband!) 😉😅😎👍 Church's husband is Christ. We, both males and females, have a husband, He is Jesus, our Lord!

 

ℍ𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕒 𝟛:𝟙

"Then the LORD said to me, 'Go again, love a woman who is loved by her husband, yet an adulteress, even as the LORD loves the sons of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes.'"

They say, "You never truly get over with your first love." 😂 I don't know how true is that!

And we never know whether Gomer was Hosea's first love, but the narrative portrays us that Gomer was unlovable. Still, Hosea went to call her back to portray God's unyielding love for His people!

If you are really down with spiritual deadness, Hosea is a good book to give you, life, seeing God's love is greater than your stubbornness!

 

ℍ𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕒 𝟜:𝟙

"Listen to the word of the LORD, O sons of Israel, For the LORD has a case against the inhabitants of the land, Because there is no faithfulness or kindness Or knowledge of God in the land."

Society deteriorates when there's no faithfulness, kindness, and knowledge of God. A person's life becomes hard when there's no faithfulness, kindness, and knowledge of God.

When we read the following verses it's clear that faithfulness is referring to an adherence to the word of God. In other words, living by the laws of God. Kindness is referring to our actions as a result of our faithfulness to the word of God. Indeed, godly people demonstrate godliness in all things. Chief of them is kindness to all! Knowledge of God is referring to the understanding of the Scriptures.

Hosea's warning is true for us as well. Our society deteriorates. There's no knowledge of God, no faithfulness, and no kindness. Let's watch ourselves how we talk and treat the vendors, auto drivers, shopkeepers, all people. Where is our kindness? That kindness is a result of God's word working in us by the Spirit. That's why we read God's word daily and put up an update in this group that His words may have an effect on us.

 

ℍ𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕒 𝟝:𝟙𝟝

"I will go away and return to My place 𝕌ℕ𝕋𝕀𝕃 they acknowledge their guilt and seek My face; In their affliction they will earnestly seek Me."

What a beautiful word "until" is in this judgment! There's a limit to God's judgment because He is merciful. God is not like a man who loses his temper. God is totally cool and under complete control! He punishes his sinning people so that they may realize that the way of a transgressor is hard, and true happiness is found in obedience to Him. That they have to acknowledge: their sins and desire to walk with God.

Indeed, ice cream is nice, sin is sweet, but God is sweeter!

 

ℍ𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕒 𝟞:𝟞

"For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, And in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings."

God wants us to be faithful. To be loyal to Him. To walk with Him. To obey Him. To stick with Him. Like a wife sticks with her husband. To love only Him. To adore only Him. A wife can hang out with other men in a workplace, and a wife can love other men, but never as she would with her husband.

And to be faithful, one needs the knowledge of God. We must know what God hates and what pleases Him, and be obedient to that!

 

ℍ𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕒 𝟟:𝟙𝟞

"They turn, 𝔹𝕦𝕥 ℕ𝕠𝕥 𝕌𝕡𝕨𝕒𝕣𝕕, They are like a deceitful bow; Their princes will fall by the sword Because of the insolence of their tongue. This will be their derision in the land of Egypt."

Our cry, our sadness, our wailing, and our pain should drive us upward, to God. Recognizing God is above all, that He is able to save us, that He is our solution, that He has a good (the best) plan for us, that His ways we shall accept!

Alas! The Israelites didn't turn upward. Their turnings were all without a benefit!

 

ℍ𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕒 𝟠:𝟙𝟚

"Though I wrote for him ten thousand precepts of My law, They are regarded as a strange thing."

The same could be said of our generation, church, and even us individually. There shall be no excuses in the days of the Lord.

 

ℍ𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕒 𝟡:𝟙𝟜

"Give them, O LORD--what will You give? Give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts."

Look! What's Prophet Hosea doing? He is cursing (making an imprecatory prayer) his people for their unfaithfulness!

How shall I curse those who are unfaithful in our (this) WhatsApp group, who refused to keep their commitment? 😬😆😂😎 Actually, there's one group, where I did it! 😎 He was so lazy. So, I had wished for him that every girl will reject his marriage proposal this year, that every girl he approaches will turn him down until he is responsible enough to lead his wife in sanctification! Will happen soon in this group as well! 😂😎

Btw, there's no reason one cannot put up one Bible verse at least for one day in this group within these 30 days!

 

ℍ𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕒 𝟙𝟘:𝟙

"Israel is a luxuriant vine; He produces fruit for himself. The more his fruit, The more altars he made; The richer his land, The better he made the sacred pillars."

If we aren't familiar with the biblical vocabulary, we will think this is a good verse. Actually, this is a tragic verse! The "altars" and "sacred pillars" are referring to the idolatry of the people. So, the meaning is, the more they prosper, they forget God, they depart from God, and they live like the other nations.

Again and again, from the first commandment of the Mosaic Ten Commandments, the Scriptures reveal how much God hates, despises, loathes idolatry.

Do you go to a party when you get your salary, or to a movie hall? Well, next time, think about what you are doing and see, if you have become more like the Israelites!

 

ℍ𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕒 𝟙𝟙:𝟠

"How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I surrender you, O Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart is turned over within Me, All My compassions are kindled."

This is the God who has also loved us and made us His children! If the Father loves us so much, may we keep loving our family members of faith without giving up! 👍🙏

 

ℍ𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕒 𝟙𝟚:𝟙

"Ephraim feeds on wind, And pursues the east wind continually; He multiplies lies and violence. Moreover, he makes a covenant with Assyria, And oil is carried to Egypt."

Wow! Look at the imagery! It's totally a worthless and useless endeavor! What's their fault? Not depending on God.

Friends, a life lived without God is a worthless life! C. T. Stud is right, "Only one life, ’twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last."

 

ℍ𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕒 𝟙𝟛:𝟡

'It is your destruction, O Israel, That you are against Me, against your help."

He that quarrels with his Maker is a miserable man! He who does not delight in God is living a hard life. There were times when I didn't delight in God, and when I even quarreled with the Lord. Well, God's Grace is real too!

 

ℍ𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕒 𝟙𝟜:𝟡

"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 righteous will walk in them, But transgressors will stumble in them."

I have seen in real life that the way of a transgressor is hard.