Anglican Daily Fountain 27 September 2023 (Devotional Today)
Welcome to Today’s Daily Fountain Devotional of the Anglican Church of Nigeria. Daily Fountain is a daily reading devotional for all Anglicans and Non-Anglicans to read, study, share and discuss the Word of God on a daily basis.
TOPIC: THE URGENT CALL TO SEEK THE LORD
TEXT: Hosea 5:8-6:7(KJV)
5:8 Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah: cry aloud at Bethaven, after thee, O Benjamin.
5:9 Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke: among the tribes of Israel have I made known that which shall surely be.
5:10 The princes of Judah were like them that remove the bound: therefore I will pour out my wrath upon them like water.
5:11 Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment, because he willingly walked after the commandment.
5:12 Therefore will I be unto Ephraim as a moth, and to the house of Judah as rottenness.
5:13 When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then went Ephraim to the Assyrian, and sent to king Jareb: yet could he not heal you, nor cure you of your wound.
5:14 For I will be unto Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the house of Judah: I, even I, will tear and go away; I will take away, and none shall rescue him.
5:15 I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.
6:1 Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.
6:2 After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.
6:3 Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.
6:4 O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away.
6:5 Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments are as the light that goeth forth.
6:6 For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
6:7 But they like men have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me.
Anglican Daily Fountain 27 September 2023 STUDY:
In the preceding verses to our text, Ephraim had committed whoredom, and Israel was defiled. Consequently, God’s judgment was impending. Then the word of the Lord came in verse 8 of our text to blow the horn in Gibeah and the trumpet in Ramah to save Ephraim from desolation and destruction.
Like in the Bible days, we live in a time when sin and abomination is common. Fornication, adultery, lesbianism, gay marriages, corruption, perversion, kidnapping and shedding of innocent blood have taken over society.
People and live as though there is no God, forgetting there are consequences of sin and the actions of men. Many, though in the Church, have backslidden and given in to the things of the world. But God in His love and mercy, who would not want his children to be destroyed, is calling us today to renew our consecration to him. We are to quickly turn away from rebellion, iniquity and sinful lifestyle and be revived. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found. The time to seek and return completely to the Lord is now.
PRAYER: Father; let your mercy prevail over judgment in my life, in my family and in our Church. We turn to seek you. Amen.
