It is time to seek the Lord

This has to be the central message of Hosea’s prophecy and certainly one of the important message for every generation. Especially for us in 2023.

“Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unploughed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you.” Hosea 10:12

Why is it time?

1. Because knowing God is not high on the agenda. Knowing about or of Him is not the same. In 4:1 Hosea says there is no knowledge or acknowledgement of the Lord. Like Hosea, alone in the marital home, or like the father scanning the terrain for his prodigal son, we have left (again), we have gone our own way (again), we have lost our knowing Him (again). When I look back on all the problems I have had to try and help within Church and I ask myself this question, ‘if the individuals concerned knew God more would this have helped to solve the problem?’ The answer is ‘YES’.
2. Because leadership is failing God’s people. Hosea has said in 9:15 that the leaders were rebellious. Last week a Pastor told me how in his town there is a church that has had a new minister. Since that appointment the minister set about asking every ‘evangelical born-again believer’ in the church to leave. Droves have left as a secular and liberal agenda has risen within that church brought about by leadership decisions. We need courageous faithful leaders today who will not remove the Bible from its central place in a believe’rs life and who teach the church to obey it. And we need gentle leaders who know how to shepherd.
3. Because it is God’s heart to bless. We will soon get to the end of the prophecy and in chapter 14 we see God’s heart which is for us to thrive and be fruitful. 

It wasn’t God’s heart for judgment and exile. It is God’s heart for revival. 

If you read any revival history you find a praying people. I was reading the other day of the life of Jeremiah Lambfear. In New York in 1857 he began calling people to pray at lunchtime. In the first week 6 people came; the second week 14 people came to pray; then 23 people; then 65 people then 200 people; then he decided to go 5 days a week still meeting at lunchtime to pray. After a few months there were 6100 people praying and then 6 months later the revival broke and as God began to move there were upwards of 10,000 a week coming to know Jesus. Scottish and Irish leaders were sent to New York and on their return they started prayer meetings and it led in 1858/1859 to the Ulster Revival which spread across the whole UK. It wasn’t the prayer meetings but it was hearts passionate for God to move who were willing to take their time to pursue Him. It was people who knew it was time to seek the Lord. This can still happen now in 2023.