Do our words match our actions in our relationships with God? Many times the fruit of this life is absent because we have gone our own ways. We sow the wind and reap the whirlwind. Hosea’s words to Israel challenge us to remain in the vine and bear his fruit…
2 Israel cries out to me,
‘Our God, we acknowledge you!’
3 But Israel has rejected what is good
7 “They sow the wind
and reap the whirlwind.
The stalk has no head;
it will produce no flour.”
Hosea 8:2-3, 7
God desires our obedience, more than our sacrifices and more than our empty words. When we cry out to God, acknowledge him, and even worship him, our lives should reflect our expressions. In the case of Israel, we see that they rejected what is good. They rejected God’s way.
We all have done that. Isaiah’s prophecy reveals that “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way,” (Isaiah 53:6). We turn from God’s good to our ways. And in God’s eyes, our way = gone astray. Yup. It’s God’s way or the highway. God’s way or astray. Doesn’t seem to be any middle ground.
And when we go our way, sowing the wind, we reap the whirlwind. We cannot handle the consequences of our choices at times, nor can we fill in the holes we dig in our lives. And so we will find ourselves at the mercy of God – again. And again.
The fruit of this life is absent. The stalk has no head, and will produce no flour. When our works are tested (1Corinthians 3:10-15) it will all burn up because there is no substance. No fruit: We haven’t remained in the one who is our source and the vine (John 15:1-8).
And that’s the answer… Jesus’ own words are “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing,” (John 15:5).
Let’s make a new choice today. Let’s make a better choice today. Let’s choose what is good. Let us remain in Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith and produce the harvest that he will produce in us.
Amen.
Marc Kinna
marckinna 