IBS WEEK 7

Hosea 5:15

Israel peaced out against God. They don't need Him anymore, they're fine just the way they are. But hold on, God stayed the same. He doesn't leave or change. If we're distant from God, it's because we've moved. He never leaves or forsakes us. He does, however, like our attention. Which is where this picks up. God crushes Israel. He does not answer their prayers, He has disowned them. He crushes to build back up. It's HIM who keeps us alive, moment by moment, and He will NOT hesitate to remind us of this fact.

He shows His face when we EARNESTLY seek Him. We will find Him when we seek Him with ALL of our hearts, ALL of our beings. This is the key: we don't simply seek Him because we want something, but because we need Him and have a true desire for that relationship of love and mercy with His endless power.

My application is to allow God to humble me, every morning, before I exit my bedroom. If I walk out of my room with even a speck of pride of self-love in my heart, it will be impossible to look to God and to others. Like Pastor Steve always describes LOVE as: Your best at my expense. That's my true desire--that's God's true being. I want every bit of me to scream God's love, and it's impossible to do that when I'm not letting Him in.