The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in Hosea 10:12,
"Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers righteousness on you."
What a verse! Here is a an invitation that is the salient point of life for every generation of mankind. The one profound and unique purpose of every individual in this life is to pursue what will become ours in the next. This life only lasts a short while. Life in the resurrection lasts an eternity. It has no end. Those who believe God know that the event that brings this life to a standstill and ushers in life in the resurrection is coming our way. It is formidable. It is unstoppable. It is certain.
In this exhortation to plow what has remained fallow, the Israelites are told to seek what can be theirs if they sow in this life what is required to "reap the fruit of unfailing love" in the next. The promise of seeking the Lord brings a reward that has such value, it cannot be measured in terms of any treasure. It brings the gift of righteousness!
Righteousness is that most valuable currency that brings eternal life. It could be viewed as our "ticket" to the eternal pleasures at God's right hand. Paul says in Romans 5:15-17, "But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ."
In speaking of the resurrection, David expressed what that looks like in Psalms 16:11, "You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand."
"I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation." 2 Corinthians 6:2b. "... for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers righteousness on you."
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
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