It was a week of recuperation. Several nights I slept for 10 hours! I didn’t exercise anything but my feet. I stopped “spring cleaning.” The donations from my storage room still need to be boxed up. But God was working on the “storage room” in my heart.

God is Our Father

Hosea 6:6, “For I delight in faithfulness, not simply in sacrifice; I delight in acknowledging God, not simply in whole burnt offerings.” New English Translation

“…God disciplines not simply to punish but also to correct and restore. …This deep interaction between you and God is not about you facing a judge; it’s about you coming home to your Father.”

New English Translation Notes on Hosea 6:1-3

***

“If you don’t know God, you will not fulfill your purpose.” Pastor Monte Knudsen, April 30, 2023

Follow the Lord

Hosea 11:10-11, “‘He will roar like a lion, and they will follow the Lord; when He roars, His children will come trembling from the west.

11) They will return in fear and trembling like birds from Egypt, like doves from Assyria, and I will settle them in their home,’ says the Lord.” NET

“As you pray through God’s Word, acknowledge your need for God’s grace and mercy. And then look toward the future: How can you begin to ‘follow the Lord’ (v. 10) more intently? Ask God to show you how to pursue Him with intention.”

NET Notes on Hosea 11:8-11

***

Psalms 78:72, “David cared for them with pure motives; he led them with skill.” NET

Skillful leaders check their attitudes as they follow the Lord.

God Plans Our Future

“…Isaiah 42:9, states that God is the One who declares things before they happen. …who will bring both judgment and mercy to His people and to the nations. …who plans the future and who will raise up a future Messiah and King…the Servant who suffers on behalf of His people.

…Jesus fulfilled the role and calling of this Servant. …and…the Messianic predictions found in this book. …His work brings salvation, freedom, and healing to all who put their trust in Him. …”

NET Introduction to Isaiah

***

Isaiah 1:16-17, “Wash! Cleanse yourselves! Remove your sinful deeds from my sight. Stop sinning.

17) Learn to do what is right. Promote justice. Give the oppressed reason to celebrate. Take up the cause of the orphan. Defend the rights of the widow.” NET

What the Lord Approves

Isaiah 3:14, “…You have stashed in your houses what you have stolen from the poor.” NET

I have stashed in my storage room items that could be used by the poor!

The synagogue storage room in the Nazareth Village. They stored the scrolls in clay jars here.

What the Lord Approves

2 Chronicles 27:2, “He did what the Lord approved, just as his father Uzziah had done. (He did not, however, have the audacity to enter the temple.) Yet the people were still sinning.” NET

“…Reflect on what you noticed from the passage and look for a connection to your life. Consider your commitment to remain faithful to the Lord even when those around you are ‘still sinning.’ (v. 2). …”

NET Notes on 2 Chronicles 27:2-6

***

How to Live

“Have you ever wondered what God wants from you? How do you approach a holy God?

…God sent Micah to proclaim a message of judgment and hope… Do you think God wants from you only outward actions, such as daily Bible reading, regular church attendance, and frequent prayer? Have you become legalistic about your spiritual disciplines?

Examine your heart. Then read what God desires in Micah 6:8. [“He has told you, O man, what is good and what the Lord really wants from you: He wants you to carry out justice, to love faithfulness, and to live obediently before your God.” NET]

Walking humbly with God is a lifestyle. …He wants to be our Companion as we journey through life. …He desires relationship, not religious ritualism.”

NET Introduction to Micah

***

Micah 5:7, “Those survivors from Jacob will live in the midst of many nations. They will be like the dew the Lord sends, like the rain on the grass, that does not hope for men to come or wait around for humans to arrive.” NET

Dew is a symbol of fruitfulness or God’s blessings. It does not wait for anyone or depend on men.

“Thank God that His plans stay far ahead of our needs, that our concerns and fears never take Him by surprise. Invite Him to lead you to the future He knows is best for you. …”

NET Notes on Micah 5:2-6

***

Micah 6:10-11, “I will not overlook, O sinful house, the dishonest gain you have hoarded away or the smaller-than-standard measure I hate so much.

11) I do not condone the use of rigged scales or a bag of deceptive weights.” NET

Life Without Fear

Isaiah 8:11-14, “Indeed this is what the Lord told me quite forcefully. He warned me not to act like these people.

12) ‘…Don’t be afraid of what scares them; don’t be terrified.

13) You must recognize the authority of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. He is the one you must respect; He is the one you must fear.

14) He will become a sanctuary. …'” NET

“God told Isaiah not to fear impending threats. …In 1 Peter 3:14, we see Isaiah’s words again. Peter called on his readers to put their hope in Christ.

…consider how you respond to rumors of danger and threats. …Remember that God is your sanctuary (v. 14). Pray that you would grow in awareness of His protection, security, and love.”

NET notes on Isaiah 8:11-15

2023 Rainbow Bible Reading Guide ©2009-2023 thisyearsbiblereadingguide.com.  All Rights Reserved.