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Surrendering to Receive
August 6th, 2013
Hosea 3:1-5
In Hosea 3, he writes, “The Israelites will live many days . . . without sacrifice or sacred stones” (v. 4). The “sacred stones” were erected at shrines as a form of idolatrous worship to a deity. Israel had adulterated its religion with these practices (and many others), and they will soon be without items they have used for adulterous worship because God is drawing them back to himself.
At other times, God may require that we give up things that are not necessarily bad in themselves but that have come before God in our lives. God sometimes removes things from our lives at least for a season.
Loving parents have to eventually learn to let their children go and entrust them to God’s care. We see this every fall during freshmen move-in day at universities; students are taking steps of faith as they begin their college career. Parents are often grieving as they say good-bye to their children.
As difficult as these days may be, God has a purpose in removing things that interfere with our relationship with Him.
Author: Corey MacPherson
