How to Get Back on Top

Hosea 4: Hear the word of the Lord, you Israelites,
    because the Lord has a charge to bring
    against you who live in the land:
“There is no faithfulness, no love,
    no acknowledgment of God in the land.

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¹⁰ “They will eat but not have enough;
    they will engage in prostitution but not flourish,
because they have deserted the Lord
    to give themselves ¹¹ to prostitution;
old wine and new wine
    take away their understanding.

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Wandering around the desert is not fun. It seemed like everything was going wrong all at once, meanwhile the people I met there did not seem fulfilling. I mean we would go out, drink and laugh only to return to a place of loneliness. “Is this it?” I thought to myself.

• There were times when I was in a crowd and felt lonely.
• There were times when I was around laughter and was crying inside.
• There were times when I wanted to fly only to have my wings ripped off by life’s challenges.

“We’re going out drinking, you want to come?” was the statement that I finally had to say “No” to. It wasn’t the people or the drinking; it was the emptiness of the action that I found less fulfilling. We would sit drink, complain, joke, and jab each other, only to go back to our empty lives. Something had to change.

• GOD said to me “Increase your measure of faith in ME daily.”
• GOD said to me “Increase your love for ME and others daily.”
• GOD said to me “Increase your acknowledgement that you need ME daily.”

When I dropped to my knees and prayed I was amazed. My heart was opened and my mind was cleared up. I went from complaining about my situation to being thankful for where I was. No longer did the sordid jokes have the same effect on me. Helping thieves become wealthier just did not have the same taste.

GOD wants me to flourish but on HIS terms. HE desires to give me sober understanding to follow HIS ways and to lead others to do the same. I acknowledge I need HIM more than anyone.

• Are you lonely?
• Do you find yourself headed down the wrong path but cannot stop yourself?
• Will you stop for a moment to acknowledge GOD in your life?
• Will you reach out to HIM and ask HIM for direction?