Friday, September 28

Today’s Readings: Psalms 67 & 85; Hosea 11:1-9; Luke 13:10-17; Romans 1:26-32

I wish that I could say each of every day’s passages has something that comes alive for me. Unfortunately that’s not always the case. Some days I struggle to connect spiritually with any of the five passages. Today’s readings were the exception, however. I could have easy pulled a topic or theme from any of the five passages. The one that I found most encouraging today was the passage from Hosea. Let me tell you why that is. You see part of me struggles with a theological theme that runs throughout much of the Hebrew Scripture. That theme goes as follows: if you do good things, God will like and reward you; if you do bad things, God won’t like you and will punish you. My problem with that theological line of thinking? It makes it appear that God’s temperament is no different than yours of mine! I’d certainly like to think that God is capable of greater acts of grace and mercy than I am! Today’s passage from Hosea revealed a much bigger – much more merciful God than is sometimes the case. Let me pick up the passage from Hosea 11 with the second half of verse 8. I’ll be using Eugene Peterson’s translation, The Message. “My [God’s] heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused. I will not carry out my fierce anger, nor will I turn and devastate Ephraim. For I am God, and not man – the Holy One among you. I will not come in wrath [emphasis added].” What wonderful words of assurance that God’s ways aren’t our ways! Today I give thanks for a compassionate God whose heart can be changed. I pray that those who claim an allegiance to God may follow God’s example and become compassionate people whose hearts can be changed as well. Til next time…