The Saddest Verse

I just love God’s Word.  It’s so real, it pulls no punches, it tells it like it is.  Like it really is.  It’s so encouraging, so hopeful!  But sometimes… it can be extremely sad.  Hosea 4:6 - “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.  That might be one of the saddest verses in the whole Bible.  God’s own people, not the ungodly, not those who reject Him, and the sacrifice that Jesus went through for them… not those people.  God’s own people – who say they believe in God - could be destroyed simply because of their ignorance.  People who go to church, who say they believe in God and His Word – don’t know what His Word says.  And if they do – they don’t live by it.  That’s why they are destroyed, that’s why they are miserable.  They go from one lack to another, one conflict to another, one offense to another.  What are people most ignorant about?  Money, Relationships, Faith, and Diligence.  Money indicates the heart, and relationships are what is most important in life, more than money.  So if your money isn’t right, your heart isn’t right, (God said you love God, or you love money – you follow what God says, or you follow what money says – and what you think is the best way to get it and keep it).  Like the rich fool, he knew how to get it (hard work – brings a profit)  But He didn’t know how to keep it.  He was rich but not rich toward God, and He lost everything.  “Tonight your life will be required of you, and who will get what you have stored up for yourself.  If you money isn’t right, your heart isn’t right, and if your heart isn’t right, your relationships can’t be right starting with your relationship with God.   Some people’s relationships are terrible.  Why? because they are the common denominator in every one of them.  They suck and they bring their crap with them to the next one.  They don’t know what God says about kindness, or forgiveness, they don’t know how to overlook an offense, they are looking for the next one.  They prefer themselves over others, rather than preferring others over themselves.  They prefer their gain over others’ gain, their opinions over others’ opinions.  They don’t know how to serve, how to value others above themselves.  Why?  Because they want for themselves more than they want for others.  They don’t understand God’s gravity principle.  Give and it will be given to you.  Whether money, time, respect, kindness.  Most people think you get by earning or taking…  God says you get by giving.  But giving to get is not giving, it’s just another way of getting.  If the only reason you give is to get, you’re not giving.  Giving expects nothing in return - No strings attached.   The greatest ignorance?  People don’t know that God has a plan for their day.  They never ask him, so they never find out, so the day they live – was by their own plan, or no plan, not God’s plan for them.  They are the ones that Isaiah speaks of when he said everyone has turned to his own way – and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.   Faith – most people don’t know that their words affect their faith.  That what they say, they will believe, and what they believe they will eventually say.  They don’t realize that God responds to faith not need, that without faith it’s impossible to please God, and that your words reveal your faith, and your words can build it!  You are either speaking doubt or faith.  Faith in the wrong thing isn’t helpful, but I’d rather die in faith than live in doubt.  That’s where counsel can help.  You can row toward Niagara fully believing it doesn’t exist – but you’re in for a really big drop.  Counsel from humble, Godly obeyers can prevent you from asking, and believing amiss.  And finally, diligence – many are ignorant of diligence – the precious possession of a man.  If you walk in the Spirit, you will walk in diligence -the difference is you don’t trust in your work, you just work because you trust in God, it’s what He put your hand to do, and you work for Him, not money or people, or stuff.  Full of the Spirit people are workers.  They know it honors God and is the precious possession of a man.  Whether Joseph, Daniel, or the Proverbs 31 woman, God said if a man won’t work, neither should he eat, and Paul encourage every believer to work with their hands, not only to support themselves, but to have enough so they can share with others.  God provides, work doesn’t… But God often provides through our work, and He definitely develops our character through work.  Praying that you won’t be like the ignorant who lack knowledge and are destroyed, who don’t seek counsel or think they know better, who love money more than God.  You can tell by whether they follow God’s money principles or not.  Praying that your relationships will thrive because God’s Word forms your words and actions.  Praying that your faith is always rising, because your words direct it in God’s truth, and praying that diligence is what you are known for – the precious possession of a man.  Praying that you will take joy in everything God puts your hand to, and your words to, and his resources to.  That you will see the fruit of righteousness that comes from knowing His Word, and trusting Him enough to do everything He says to do.  Praying that you will ask God, seek counsel from obeyers, prefer others above yourself, and always praise, always give, and always love – like God loves you. 
 
Love you all,
dad