Hosea 14:9 Being Wise And Discerning

Who is wise? Let them realize these things. Who is discerning? Let them understand. The ways of the LORD are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them. Hosea 14:9

Hosea finishes out this book with telling whoever is wise and discerning to understand the ways of the Lord. Those who will be righteous and following God will walk in the ways of the Lord. Those who are rebellious will only stumble in the ways of the Lord.

Often the ways of God are very strange to a person. On the surface many of the things that God has done in the past does not always make sense, until it is looked at from a bigger picture or afterwards.

Looking at the bible, why would God take the Israelites out of the desert and trap them between an impassable body of water and the enemy?

Why would God tell David he is the next king, then make him wait 30 years to become king?

Why would God tell Hosea to marry a prostitute?

Why would God have the Messiah, who was supposed to reign forever, die on a cross?

It is easy now to look back at each of those events and see what God was doing and why. It makes sense, when the end picture is also seen.

However, in day-to-day living right now, one cannot see the end, and often, not even the big picture. God asks people to do things that do not always make sense. He allows things in the lives of a person that appear to be horrible and wrong. God asks a believer to give all he has. God asks one to forgive and love the enemy.

If you are wise and discerning, you will be able to know that ALL the ways of the Lord are right. He is perfect in all that He does. If you want to be righteous, you will walk in them.

Those who are rebellious will find every reason to not walk in God’s ways. They will reject the things of God. They will claim to love God, but refuse to love and forgive their enemy. The ways of God will appear to be foolish to them and they will reject them.

Are you being wise and discerning today?

I pray today that you will know the ways of God; that you will trust the ways of God; that you will obey all of God’s directions to you; and that you will be wise and discerning of the path God has for your life.