Everyday Truth With Kurt Skelly

Hosea 11:1-12 This short chapter reflects the tender heart of God in such a wonderful way! A mere human being would never have put up with the kind of rank unfaithfulness that Israel had exhibited. But God is not a man! He demonstrates that even His judgments on His people have a long-term positive result. He loves them and longs to bless them!

Hosea 10:9-15 The law of sowing and reaping is found throughout the Word of God. Perhaps the most difficult part of the process is understanding that present, righteous decisions have enormous value that cannot be seen until other seasons in our lives. The people of Israel were just beginning to see the consequences (reaping) of their choices. In this context, Hosea pleads with them to cultivate the field of their hearts and plant better seeds. 

Hosea 10:1-8 What you do with the blessings God has given you will reveal a lot about your character. Do you respond in humble gratitude? Do the blessings fuel future obedience? Or do you simply consume the blessings for your own enjoyment and benefits, giving only a passing nod to God? Your heart is often best revealed during days of economic prosperity.

Nehemiah 8 from the series "When God Interrupts Your Life"

Hosea 9:14-17 So comprehensive would the judgment of God be upon Israel that she would lose her very status as a nation. She would lose God’s favor, God’s provided blessings, and even (in many cases) her own children. Yet, hope remained. She would become a wanderer among the nations. The scattering of God’s people would, in and of itself, be a preservative. They would not and could not be utterly destroyed, and one day, God would regather them from the corners of the world. Today, we are witnesses to some of that regathering!

Hosea 9:10-13 In today's episode, we learn how God viewed His past relationship with His people. They were a pleasant and joyful refreshment to Him, and His memories of them were fond. But they unwisely left God and brought horrible consequences upon themselves. Now, they were doing the exact same thing!

Hosea 9:5-9 One of the jobs of a spiritual leader is to be a watchman. Because of his own walk with God and knowledge of God’s Word, he has a vantage point that others do not have. He can see things on the horizon that others cannot see. With diligence and boldness, he must be willing to warn those around him about the impending danger.

Hosea 9:1-4 We all love to experience economic blessings—the pay raise at work, the strong stock market, the fertile garden, etc. During Hosea’s day, Israel was experiencing all kinds of great economic blessings. So then why would God tell the people not to rejoice in them and for them? Had they not come from God? Isn’t joy appropriate in those situations? 

Hosea 8:9-14 Deer hunters understand that a buck will make risky and dangerous choices when he is on the prowl for a doe. The “rut” season is the best time to hunt because the otherwise cautious deer will put himself in a vulnerable place. God likened the nation of Israel to a dumb donkey who ventured alone into a very dangerous place!

Nehemiah 7 from the series "When God Interrupts Your Life"

Hosea 8:6-8 Small bad decisions will create a tornado of consequence eventually. Israel learned this the hard way. They sowed the wind; i.e., they made seemingly insignificant evil choices over a long period of time. But those choices—all put together—created a whirlwind of hurt and despair.

Hosea 8:1-5 The people of Israel claimed to know God. When the consequences of their sin caught up with them, they protested that they couldn’t possibly deserve such calamity—they know God! But the colossal mistake they made was this: knowing God is a lot different than merely knowing about God.

Hosea 7:8-14 Your likelihood to hit a target’s bullseye is only as good as the accuracy of the weapon you choose to use. If the barrel on the rifle is bent, the bullet will not fly straight. If the bow is crooked, the arrow will miss the mark. God called Israel a “crooked bow” who missed the mark. How so? Listen in!

Hosea 7:1-7 The people of Hosea’s day were not considering that God remembered everything they did. In fact, their sins had surrounded them! If God remembers our sins, then there can be no hope for any of us, right? Wrong! Because God has also provided a way by which He can forget our sins!

Hosea 6:1-11 In this chapter, Hosea assumes the role of an encourager. He has already carefully conveyed the primarily negative message of God’s displeasure and coming judgment. Now he pleads with the people to “return to the Lord.” The God who is judging you is doing so in love! He wants to heal and restore you. Come back!

Nehemiah 6 From the series "When God Interrupts Your Life"

Hosea 5:6-15 The people of Israel had dealt treacherously with the Lord. How so? They had intermarried with unbelievers and raised children that did not even know God. In that sense, they had raised children as foreigners (strangers) to the knowledge of God and the practice of serving Him.

Hosea 5:1-5 Behavior and works alone do not indicate a sincere faith, but there certainly are certain habits that we can practice that can fertilize a more ready turning to God. The people of Israel did not “frame their doings” to turn to God; rather, they allowed a heart bent toward idolatry and sensuality to guide their decision-making.

Hosea 4:17-19 Among the worst judgments God can bring someone is this: letting him have his own way. Israel had stubbornly pursued her lusts and loyalties. She had made up her mind that she wanted her petty idols and cheap pleasures more than she wanted God. Although God repeatedly warned her that she would regret such decision-making, she stubbornly persisted until God relented and let her alone. Be careful what you ask for!

Hosea 4:14-16 God uses everybody. That’s right. Even rebellious people are used of God… just not in the way they want. God will use the poor example of someone who has made a sinful choice like a billboard that says, “Don’t be like him!” Israel had made up her mind that she would not follow God. Places in Israel that had been places of holiness now had become cesspools of sinful behavior. God told Judah to stay away from Israel lest she fall into the same behaviors.