#DailyDevotion Be Like The LORD & Trust Him Always
Hos 12 3In the womb he took his brother by the heel, and when he was a strong man he fought with God. 4When he fought with the Angel, he won, weeping and pleading with Him. He found Him at Bethel, and there God talked to him. 5The LORD is the God of armies; the LORD is the name by which He is remembered.
The patriarch of Israel is recalled as an example for his progeny. Jacob was a fighter from the beginning and he turned that fighting spirit into struggling and fighting with the LORD for a blessing. He recalls his wrestling with “the” Angel and would not let go until He blessed him. Jacob found the LORD at Bethel and the LORD blessed him. We too should look to the LORD and not let go of Him until He blesses us.
This God is the LORD, the God of armies. He commands all the heavenly hosts. The LORD is the name He is to be remembered by and not be referred to as Baal as it seems the Israelites were doing. It is the name He commanded the Israelites to use in prayer, supplications, oaths, thanksgiving and sacrifice. We now call upon Him with the name of Jesus, who is the LORD.
6You too should turn to your God, be kind and just, and always look confidently to your God.
Since Jacob is Israel’s example, the prophet calls for them to turn to their God, the God who first claimed them as His holy people. In turning to God they are to turn from the false gods and those things in which the Israelites trust for every good (we will see what they trust in the next few verses). When they turn to the LORD they are called to be like the LORD. They are called to be kind and just to one another, with the poor, the widow, the orphan, the foreigner at the gate and the priests. This is similar to Jesus’ call in His sermons for His disciples to be perfect, merciful and holy like their Father in heaven is perfect, merciful and holy. (Matt. 5:48, Luke 6:36, 1 Pet. 1:16) We are then called to hear the LORD’s call to turn to Him and be like Him in every aspect of our lives.
The prophet tells them to look confidently to their God always. They are to look to God, the LORD for every good. If they did this, they would see there is good reason to look confidently to God always. We have Jesus’ promise to hold onto so we may look confidently to the LORD always. He says in Matt. 7, 7“Ask, and it will be given to you. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened for you. 8Anyone who asks receives; anyone who searches finds; and anyone who knocks, the door will be opened for him. . . how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him?”
7With dishonest scales in his hands, this merchant loves to cheat. 8Ephraim says, “Ah, I’ve become rich. I’ve gotten my own wealth. In all my dealings they will not find in me any iniquity, which is sin.”
Here we see what Israel needs to turn away from to the LORD. They trust in wealth for every good thing. They trust in themselves to make this wealth. While they cheat they deceive themselves they have not sinned. How often do we trust in self and wealth to get every good thing? You can’t serve God and wealth at the same time.
Kind and just Father, give us hearts that trust in You alone for every good. Let us despise our own power and might to trust in Yours alone. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.