Hosea 6:3 | Knowing God
Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.
Hosea 6:3 ESV
Knowing God is not a stagnant or lifeless religious duty. Being a Christian is more than enacting symbolic rituals that tell the story of God. Throughout the Old Testament, the Israelites moved back and forth between living in ways that honored God and rejecting his promise.
Interestingly, even amid the most severe prophetic correction, the priests kept up with their culture's religious practices. God’s complaint throughout the Old Testament is most often about the heart condition of his people and not a criticism of religious commitment.
Just like the sacrifices and temple practices of the Israelites were symbols that pointed to God, church worship can be a beautiful expression of our theology. Still, the Israelites could have the law of God routinely practiced and yet be far from God. We, too, can be close to religious practices but far from God's heart.
This should be painfully obvious as we consider how many religious people have lived incredibly immoral lives. We can look at ourselves and recognize that merely being involved in church doesn’t guarantee that we live holy and free lives that honor God.
To be clear, I believe that the church expresses God’s nature. God has designed his church so that salvation and freedom are accessible and sustained through her existence. My point is not that we should ignore the church or any religious practices.
The truth is that what we long for and seek after will ultimately determine how close we get to God. Hopefully, being in church calls us to this desire of God, but that is not always the case. Maybe you are reading this post today because you are looking for someone to call you to know God.
This is your invitation. Abiding has many expressions, but today it means pressing on to know God. Don’t let the enemy tempt you away from seeking God by telling you that you don’t need more of God. Don’t substitute a genuine relationship with God for religion.
We can rest in the promise that God will surely come to those who seek him. God is as likely to respond to your seeking as the sun is expected to rise in the morning sky. I don’t know how he will respond to you. I can’t promise a feeling or experience, but I can point you to this promise of Hosea. Would you press on to know God? Press through the distractions and reach out to have more of the Lord.
Abiding happens daily in his presence. Abiding Daily is a simple and practical reminder to stay connected to the vine. Each prompt is inspired from the scriptures and designed to point you toward prayer and encounter. You can follow us on Facebook and Instagram. To get the Daily Invitation sent to you every day click this link or text “Daily” to +1 (779) 237-3914.
