Today's Worship: The beauty of God, the ugliness of sin.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in Hosea 4:2,

 

"There is only cursing, lying and murder, stealing and adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed."

 

Israel had wandered from God. In his indictment against Israel, the Lord says of her, "... the land is guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the Lord." Hosea 1:2. This verse in 4:2 is furnished proof that Israel had, in fact, wandered from the Lord. The actions prompted by the condition of their hearts provided indisputable proof of their rejection of God which resulted in a certain, unavoidable consequence: their embrace of sin.

 

What this points to is that those who have an active relationship with God reflect his character and nature in their lives. We find the beauty of the Lord - his beauty, his wonderful qualities - displayed in the lives of those who are near him. All others inevitably drift to those things that reflect the ugly nature of sin. The Israelites had drifted.

 

The Israelites have not been the only ones. Paul wrote to Timothy about the terrible nature of the godlessness prevalent in our day, "There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power." 2 Timothy 3:1-5. This is what mankind sinks to when God is rejected. As with Israel in the days of Hosea, the ugliness of sin permeates people who turn from God.

 

On the other hand, when God is embraced, the beauty of his character becomes reflected in his people. Things like, "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." Galatians 5:22-23.

 

There is no beauty like the magnificent beauty of our God. What a wonderful thing to behold when God's people reflect him!

 

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com