HE
STOOPED AND FED US: Devotion for Monday July 18, 2016
Text:
Hosea 11:1 – 7
Memory
verse: Hosea 11 v 4 – I drew them with gentle cords, with bands of love, and I
was to them as those who take the yoke from their neck. I stooped and fed them.
God had always loved Israel as a parent loves
a stubborn child, and that is why he would not release Israel from the
consequences of its behaviour. The Israelites were sinful, and they would be
punished like a rebellious son brought by his parents before the elders (Deut.
21:18–21). All through Israel’s sad history, God repeatedly offered to restore
the nation if it would only turn to Him which they did not accept because of
their stiff neck. God’s discipline requires times of leading and times of
feeding. Sometimes the rope is taut; sometimes it is slack. God’s discipline is
always in form of love and its object is always the wellbeing of His people.
Hosea 11:4 is an appropriate image of God's deliverance of Israel from the
Egyptian yoke, and of His feeding them in the wilderness.
The recall of God's goodness and tenderness
towards us in the days of our spiritual darkness and weakness ought to keep us
very humble and very near to His mercy-seat. It ought to make us more humane
and ever willing to respond to His love for us. God’s love for us is great. It
is far beyond problems and troubles of life. Unfortunately, most of us do not
seem to understand this. Our assumption is that God’s love is never seen in our
problems and troubles. When He allows us to go through trouble, it is His way
of making us to recall His love for us. God uses various ways to discipline us.
He feeds us by making provisions for us. He brought down the food of angels for
His people to eat (Psalm 78:25). Do you lack food for the day, God will provide
for you. Keep trusting Him because He is a great provider.
Food
for Thought: {He
is a great provider (a great provider)} 2x. He will surely provide for me, a
great provider.
Prayer: 1. God, the great provider, provide for me all that are necessary for my physical and spiritual well being in Jesus name. 2. In your love O Lord, remember the needy and those who don’t have food for this day.
