Hosea 9:16-17

Hosea 9:16-17 (ESV): “16  Ephraim is stricken; their root is dried up; they shall bear no fruit. Even though they give birth, I will put their beloved children to death. 17  My God will reject them because they have not listened to him; they shall be wanderers among the nations.”

Sin separates! You might feel like you’re in fellowship with God, but the truth is this: unrepentant sin will separate you from Him. Repent and be reconciled to God—this is His will for you.

The message God gave through Hosea in chapter 4 hasn’t changed. Wickedness had overtaken the Northern Kingdom (Israel), and judgment was imminent. God would use Assyria to discipline His people, and they would eventually be carried away—not only by Assyria, but ultimately by Babylon. Their hearts were adulterous, devoted to idols, offering sacrifices to Baal and Asherah. God will not contend with human wickedness forever.

Yet isn’t God patient with us? His desire is always repentance and restoration. Our response should be obedience and the exaltation of Him alone in our lives. What keeps us from this? Pride and entitlement.

Check your heart today. Ask God to reveal anything that is hindering your relationship with Him—and then do what He says. Amen?

Father, all glory and honor belong to You. If our hearts are exalting anything else, reveal it so we may repent. Be Lord over us, we pray in Jesus’ name, amen.