The intent of a daily devotional time is to gather regularly and intimately with God.
– Philip Nation in Habits for Our Holiness
Tag: Devotions
Reflections on Joel 3
Joel speaks of the final Day of the Lord when the nations will be judged, and God’s blessings will fall on his people.
- Judgment – God’s judgment will fall upon the nations because of their sins. Will his judgment fall on you? Or have you called upon the name of the Lord (2:32) so that you might be saved?
- God’s Blessings – God will bless his people with plenty – like the Garden of Eden. No more will people hurt us in word or deed. We shall know the Lord and he will dwell among us. Ponder your glorious hope!
Reflections on Joel 1-2
Joel speaks five times of the Day of the Lord in his book – a day of judgment followed by blessing. The Day of the Lord is both past (locust invasion), coming soon (through a coming army), and future (at the end of time when Christ returns – II Peter 3:10).
- Return – The day of judgment was near, so God calls the people to return to him with all their hearts. Consider that God is gracious, merciful, slow to anger, and full of love (2:12-13). Ponder those truths. Have you drifted? Do you need to return to him? Does he have all your heart?
- The Spirit Comes – Joel predicts the day when God will pour out his Spirit on mankind (2:28-32). Peter saw this fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2. How have you seen the Spirit’s work in your life?
Reflections on Hosea 11-14
God will judge Israel for their sin.
- Judgment – God will judge Israel for their sins. Assyria will come against them, and Israel will fall. God hates sin. Do you? Do you take it seriously? What sin in your life is God calling you to turn away from?
- Return to the Lord – In chapter 14, God calls for Israel to return. If they do, God will restore them. Are there ways you need to return to the Lord? God calls them to walk in his ways. Are you?
Reflections on Hosea 8-10
Hosea is called to illustrate in his own life Israel’s unfaithfulness and God’s love.
- Righteousness or Iniquity – Hosea calls Israel to sow and reap righteousness and love, but instead they sow and reap iniquity and injustice (10:12-13). What are you sowing and reaping? How do you need to repent?
- Eating Lies – Israel is eating the “fruit of lies” (10:13). What lies do you see in our culture? How is our culture eating the fruit of those lies? How are you tempted to do the same?
Reflections on Hosea 4-7
God wants Israel to seek and know Him, but they have turned away and refuse to return.
- Sin – Hosea recounts some of their sin in 4: 2. They swear, lie, murder, steal, and commit adultery. The latter three you may avoid in practice, but what about your heart: do you hate or get angry, covet, or lust (Matthew 5:21:30)? And how do you use your tongue? Do you swear or curse? Do you lie or deceive? Is there sin in your life for which you need to repent?
- Know God – God wants his people to love him, to know him in a real relationship (6:6). But Hosea makes clear that they do not know God (4:1, 6; 5:4). How well do you know God? Not about God – how well do you know him? Are you seeking to grow in your relationship with God? Will you press on to know Him (6:3)?
Reflections on Hosea 1-3
Hosea is called to illustrate in his own life Israel’s unfaithfulness and God’s love.
- Unfaithfulness – Hosea marries a wife who is unfaithful – a vivid picture of Israel’s unfaithfulness to God. In what ways can we be unfaithful to God? How does this picture reveal the horror of our sin?
- Redeemed – Hosea redeems his wife and brings her back home. God will judge his people, yet he promises restoration. Jesus redeems us from our unfaithfulness. A day is coming when peace and righteousness and faithfulness will reign, and we will know the Lord (2:18-20). Praise the Lord for his incredible love for us!
Reflections on Jonah 3-4
Jonah goes to preach to Nineveh, and then is angry when the people respond to his message.
- Obedience – God told Jonah to go to Nineveh, but Jonah ran the other way. After God got his attention, Jonah finally went even though he didn’t want to. Are you currently acting in disobedience? Are you obeying only because you feel like you have to? Or are you obeying out of love for God and people?
- Mercy – Jonah is a story about mercy. God shows mercy first to Jonah, and then to Nineveh. But Jonah doesn’t think God should show mercy to Nineveh, and so he is angry. What about you? God has shown you great mercy. Are you willing to extend that mercy to others?
Reflections on Jonah 1-2
God called Jonah to preach to Nineveh, but Jonah runs the other way.
- Salvation – Jonah tells the sailors to sacrifice him to the sea to calm the storm, but the sailors try to save themselves. Many people today try to save themselves instead of looking to the sacrifice of Jesus. Where are you looking for salvation?
- Hope – From the belly of the great fish, Jonah prays with hope that God will yet save him. At the same time, he recognizes that there is no hope for those who worship idols (v8). Where do you look for hope? Are you looking to God with hope in the “belly” of your great trial?
Reflections on Amos 6-9
Amos sees five visions of judgment, and then closes the book with the promise of restoration.
- Word of God – God tells Israel that soon there will be a famine of hearing the Word of God (8:11-12). God has spoken again and again, but they would not listen. Soon God will stop speaking. What a terrible judgment! Do you listen when God speaks? Are you seeking his Word?
- Booth of David – God promises that he will raise up the fallen house of David and usher in a great time of blessing (9:11-15). God has raised up Jesus, a descendent of David, and when Jesus returns, these blessings will arrive. Even so, come Lord Jesus!
Brian J. Mikul 