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Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Devo a Day--By Linda Kozar

This year I felt God leading me to read a chapter a day in the Bible and to write a short devotion about each. I'll share my thoughts and what God speaks to me. Why not read the same chapter in your bible and leave a comment here on what God is speaking to you? I love to hear the good words Daddy God is speaking to my sisters!




January 1st


They That Dwell Under The Shade

Hosea--Chapter 14

There are two types of people in this world--those who dwell in the secret place of the Most High God (Psalm 91), and those that dwell under the shadow of sin and death (Luke 1:79).
 Psalm 91:1 "He that dwells in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty."
Luke 1:79 "To give light to those sitting in darkness and death-shade (shadow of death), to guide our feet to a way of peace.' (Young's Literal Translation).
The prophet Hosea issued God's warning to the people of Israel, that  judgment was about to fall. He urged them to repent of their sins against God. And what were their sins? The Israelites had gone astray into *Baal Worship (see note). The people made molten images of pagan gods, sacrificed and and showed homage to manmade idols (Hosea 13:2) "as if they were alive!"

Hosea instructs them to:
  • Take with you words. True repentance is a 180 degree turnaround, not insincere words. People can be deceived by empty professions, but not God. 
  • Accept what is good. Forgive and receive us with no more obstruction to Your grace.
  • Receive us graciously. With the "calves of our lips," which means sacrifice we render our thanks as living sacrifices offering praise, thanksgiving, gratitude and obedience.
The people must recognize that neither their idols or allies can save them from the sure destruction of the Lord in just payment for their sins. Only God can turn away His judgment and save them.

How true--even today! Only God can save us from our sins when we choose to repent and accept Jesus Christ into our hearts, He who became sin for us and offered up His own life as sacrifice. Come, let us offer the sacrifice of praise, thanksgiving, gratitude and obedience to our God Who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen!

Note:
*Baal worship--Ba'al means master, lord, keeper or husband and was the god of rain, thunder, fertility and agriculture--all of extreme importance to agrarian cultures that depended on crops for survival. This god was supposed to control the powers of nature. The people who practiced Baal worship did so thru sexual licentiousness, the burning of incense, ceremonial acts of bowing and kissing (or cutting the skin as the priests did), the offering of sacred cakes and human sacrifice. Babies and young children were burned alive on a white-hot effigy of brass, as offerings to Baal. The priests beat drums, sounded flutes, lyres and tambourines to drown out the cries of agony so the mother and father of the victim would not hear.


Linda Kozar is the co-author of Babes With A Beatitude—Devotions For Smart, Savvy Women of Faith (Hardcover/Ebook, Howard/Simon & Schuster 2009) and author of Misfortune Cookies (Print, Barbour Publishing 2008), Misfortune Cookies, A Tisket, A Casket, and Dead As A Doornail, (“When The Fat Ladies Sing Series,” eBooks, Spyglass Lane Mysteries, 2012). Her latest novel Strands of Fate released October 2012 (Hardcover/Ebook, Creative Woman Mysteries). She received the ACFW Mentor of the Year Award in 2007, founded and served as president of Writers On The Storm, The Woodlands, Texas ACFW chapter for three years. In 2003, she co-founded, co-directed and later served as Southwest Texas Director of Words For The Journey Christian Writers Guild. She and her husband Michael, married 24 years, have two lovely daughters, Katie and Lauren and a Rat Terrier princess named Patches.

Represented by: Wendy Lawton, Books & Such Literary Agency

Member of: CAN (Christian Authors Network), RWA (Romance Writers of American), WHRWA (West Houston Romance Writers of America), ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers), Writers On The Storm, The Woodlands, Texas Chapter of ACFW, Toastmasters (Area 56) The Woodlands, Texas, The Woodlands Church, The Woodlands, TX.


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