Daily Fountain Devotional Friday, January 21, 2022
TOPIC: TOTAL
ALLEGIANCE FROM GOD'S PEOPLE
TEXT: Hosea 1:1- 2:1
God demands total allegiance from his people; He hates disloyalty. He looks forward to seeing His people obey Him and in return bless them. "Be it far from me for them that honour me, I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed" (1 Sam. 2:30).
Prayer: Dear Father, may all the glory and honour be ascribed to you now and forevermore. Amen.
Daily Fountain Devotional Saturday, January 22, 2022
TOPIC: ISRAEL'S UNFAITHFULNESS CONDEMNED
TEXT: Hosea 2:2-17
Israel wrongly attributed its
agricultural fertility to Baal, a Canaanite god. A false god! They erroneously
believed that Baal controlled the weather and thus, farming. Instead of the
Lord God Almighty, who gave all the blessings and protection, the Children of Israel ran to false gods.
Israel became unfaithful to
God. Prophet Hosea condemned Israel's unfaithfulness to the true God. For this
infidelity, the Lord first initiates a divorce against Israel, the promiscuous
wife. The prophet prophesied that the
Lord would fence Israel in "with thorn bushes" and "block her
path" by making the rewards of
idol worship so disappointing that the people would be persuaded to turn back to God. Despite Israel's unfaithfulness,
God was still faithful and merciful.
God promises a re-betrothal. He would continue
to hold His arms out to His people, even to the point of placing obstacles in their wayward path to turn them back
to him.
What can couples,
families, friends, churches, pastors, and individuals learn from this
experience? Infidelity breaks covenants; unfaithfulness spoils a good
relationship. Idolatry provokes God. Forgiveness heals injuries and restores good
relationships. The Lord is the great provider, preserver, and sustainer of life.
The Lord God, not Baal is Israel's benefactor.
Prayer: Dear Father, please, forgive me for my unfaithfulness and
grant me the grace to love you most dearly. Amen.
Daily Fountain Devotional Sunday, January 23, 2022
(Third Sunday after Epiphany)
TOPIC: OBEDIENCE
TEXT: John 2:1-12
The miracle of
turning water into wine was the "beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of
Galilee" (v.11). We are to note that Jesus responded to a request from his
beloved mother, Mary. A very important principle in our relationship with
Christ is established by what the mother, Mary, told those serving officials.
"Whatever He says to
you, do it" (v.5).
This is obedience. This important principle is very fundamental in our relationship
with God. God desires our obedience built on our love for Him. He requires
us to love Him with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our
strength. Love makes us obey Him by keeping His commandments. Jesus said, "You are my friends if you do
whatsoever, I command you” (John 15:14). For us to know what He
commands us to do, we must be close to Him to hear Him. This closeness
with the Lord is attained by obediently studying the word of God in faith and in prayer.
Prayer: Dear Lord, take
away the stony heart from me and grant me the heart of flesh that will
enable me to obey you in everything. Amen.
Daily Fountain Monday, January 24, 2022
TOPIC: DON'T SHIFT BLAME
TEXT:
Hosea 4:1-16
Israel's lawless behavior had brought the twin judgments of increased violence and ecological crisis. The prophetic speeches of Hosea indicted Israel for unfaithfulness and announced the divine judgment. The prophet revealed that the Lord had an indictment against Israel. He warned the priests not to blame anyone else; the nation's sins were largely their fault. Israel's priests pointed out the people's sins, but God would not allow them to overlook their own irresponsible actions.
Instead of instructing the nation in religion and morality, they had led the
way toward idolatry and immorality. Their failure to lead the people in God's
ways placed most of the blame for
Israel's destruction on them. The religious leaders had failed to turn the people to God, and ritual prostitution
had replaced right worship. The nation had declined spiritually and
morally, breaking the laws that God had
given them. The people found it easy to condemn Hosea's wife for her adultery but they were not so quick to see that
they had been unfaithful to God.
God will not
allow us to blame others for our own sinful actions. Beware of the tendency to
blame others because it can stop you from feeling the need to repent.
When we face difficulties, we should seriously ask: Have I done anything
sinful or irresponsible that has caused my suffering? If we discover
that we are at fault, even partially, we must change our ways before God
will help us.
Prayer: Lord, I humbly acknowledge
that I am responsible for my unfaithfulness. Please, have mercy on me.
Daily Fountain Devotional Tuesday, January 25, 2022
(Conversion
of Apostle Paul)
TOPIC:
CALLED BY GRACE AND REVELATION OF CHRIST
TEXT:
Galatians 1: 11 16a
Paul insisted that his calling was by the revelation of Jesus and by grace. He was a persecutor of the followers of Jesus Christ out of zeal for God, in line with Jewish traditions but God elected to use him in spite of his being; a prosecutor. Grace was at work in Paul's calling.
Our calling is by grace too. Some of us were outright rebels against I lie ways of God before our calling, yet He called us. Are you zealous for your creator? Do you have an experiential revelation of Christ? Which area has God assigned to you? Paul had a zeal for God; he got a revelation of Christ and his area of the assignment was clear to him: To preach to the gentiles. Therefore, let each believer develop a zeal for God and things of God.
God sees our inner hunger for him and often makes way for us to encounter him by revelation, and then He will usually assign a specific area of calling to us. Our responsibility is to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and to obey Him. Jesus remains the Way. Let us desire an encounter with the Lord who has put in place diverse areas of life to represent him. Let each believer endeavor to identify his or her area of calling or ministry and diligently pursue the same.
Prayer: Lord, grant me encounter with you by grace; help me to locate my area of calling and
strengthen me to be diligent in it.
