Hosea 6:3 - Oh, That We Might Know The LORD!
Hosea 6:3: Oh, That We Might Know The LORD!
Hosea 6:3 (NLT) Oh, that we might know the LORD! Let us press on
to know him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn
or the coming of rains in early spring.
Hosea 6:3 (HCSB) Let us strive to know the LORD. His appearance
is as sure as the dawn. He will come to us like the rain, like the
spring showers that water the land.
Hosea 6:3 (CEV) Lets do our best to know the Lord. His
coming is as certain as the morning sun; he will refresh us like rain
renewing the earth in the springtime.
Hosea 6:3 (AMP) Yes, let us know (recognize, be acquainted with,
and understand) Him; let us be zealous to know the Lord [to
appreciate, give heed to, and cherish Him]. His going forth is prepared and
certain as the dawn, and He will come to us as the [heavy] rain, as the
latter rain that waters the earth.
COMMENTARY PEARL
To listen to my friend talk about Tom Cruise, you would think
she knew him personally. She can name every film project of his
career, plus rattle off dates and key events in his lifetime. She will
tell you about his personality, character, and future plans. But the
fact is, she has never met the man; she gets all her information from
magazines and television programs that focus on the entertainment
industry.
There's a world of difference between knowing about someone
and knowing them for real, isn't there? And knowing about Jesus is
not the same thing as having a personal relationship with Him. We
can study the Bible from an academic standpoint, simply adding to
our knowledge and ready facts. Or we can read the Bible with a
desire to grow closer to the One Who is at the heart of the Scriptures
so we can become like Him. We can follow a prayer routine that
seems like submitting a wish list, or spend quiet time reaching out to
know Jesus and hear His voice.
How can we get to know Jesus on a deeper, more personal
level? By letting go of our self-sufficiency and depending on Him - for
everything. Letting obedience to Him and His purposes take precedence over
our personal desires and plans. Trusting Him even when He doesn't
seem to be answering our prayers. In other words, we come to know Him
through the hard stuff.
Our relationship with Christ never stays the same; if we
haven't moved closer to Him, we've moved farther away. Even if we know
all about Him. Dianne Neal Matthews
Faith Step: Prayerfully evaluate your faith-centered
activities. Do they lead you to know more about Jesus, or to know Him more
personally? [Mornings With Jesus 2018 Devotional by Guideposts and
Zondervan]
COMMENTARY
How many of us really know the Lord? If someone were to ask you
if you know the President of the United States, what would you say?
Know him? Well, not really; we know about him. In order to
know him, we have to be with him, talk to him, listen and watch. The
same is true of knowing God. To know about Him is not the same as
knowing Him. Second hand knowledge just won't work! Knowing Him does
not just happen. It takes a pressing on to do it; an aggressive
seeking after Him - reading His Word, listening to His voice, watching
for His providential working in our circumstances. His response is
promised! What a privilege to know that if we seek God, He will respond
to us. We can expect the unexpected! As surely as the coming of
tomorrow or the next season, God will meet us where we are and reveal
Himself to us, when we purpose to know Him. Make this your top
priority, and you will know God! [In His Time; Walk With Wisdom]
When you are in love, you long to share who you are. You want
your beloved to know your passions and your deep thoughts, admire
your skills and talents, understand your pain, and work with you
toward your goals. You may be reluctant at times to share parts of
yourself because transparency makes you vulnerable to rejection. But
ideally, in that deep-down place of dreaming, you want to be known and
appreciated for who you are. That's why heart-to-heart, gaze-into-the-eyes
romance is a relentless human longing. Everyone wants to connect.
God has the same desire. In fact, that's why He made people
in His image-to be known and appreciated for who He is. He has
shared His passions and His thoughts with us so we can know Him. He
does praiseworthy things so we can praise His power and wisdom and
works. He spoke His grief through the prophets so we could understand
His pain in broken relationships. He called us into His mission so
we could work with Him toward His goals. He has not been reluctant
to share Himself with us, even though any transparency on His part
exposes Him to our rejection. The risk of rejection is worth the love of
His creation. This is why we were made. God, like us, wants to
connect.
The promise of Hosea 6:3 - and really of Scripture as a whole
- is that if we choose to "press on to know him," God will respond
to us with His availability and love. Press on in whatever way you
can think of, knowing that God longs to share who He is. When your
heart is pressing in to Him, His response will be as certain as the
dawn.
Lord, I want to fully appreciate who You are. Show me more of
Yourself. Draw me closer and let me gaze into You. [The One Year
Experiencing Gods Presence Devotional by Chris Tiegreen]
LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2018/20180823-1030.html
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2005/20050722-0854.html
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo [old, but one of the best]
Importance of Choice:
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]
Seeking God Made Real: http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
Musical Devotional On Christian Living:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcotY5K7T0c
Medical Seminar on Healthful Living by David DeRose, MD, MPH:
https://www.smartlifestyletv.com/lifestart
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Discover Bible Studies: http://studies.itiswritten.com/discover/
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies: http://www.bibleresearch.info/
ABible.com: http://www.aBible.com
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
The Last Day of Prophecy by Pastor Doug Batchelor:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmGvdtMCf1aJTiC59-lPtuUMEq_uEn0BK
Restoring The Power by John Bradshaw:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRogO1SxoZN15Boa7BMon4BouVMdteVaq
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
Last Day Prophecy: His Other Sheep by Pastor Gerald Babanezhad:
https://vimeo.com/162267518
