The Minor Prophets Speak to Today
Pickle Hearted
Hosea 10:2 NLT
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The hearts of the people are fickle;
they are guilty and must be punished.
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they are guilty and must be punished.
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PICKLE HEARTED
The human mind performs all kinds of mental tricks. Who knows why.
From fickle hearted to pickle hearted. That's where my mind skipped. The hearts of the people are fickle.
Pickled hearts sounds as dysfunctional as the stone hearts and hardheartedness scripture warns against and condemns. I imagine a pickle hearted Christian would be suspended in a fixed style of living, thinking, and even worshiping. Being pickled they look good, might be nice to be around, but they are no longer alive, growing, or connected to the vine.
That would be a dreadful state, a deadly state, of affairs. Perhaps you know some pickle hearted people. I hope you are not one! But if so, remember Jesus is still in the transformation business. He can restore and he can reattach to the vine. Confess, turn from your pickled ways, and he will rejoice with you in a restored new life.
Pickled hearts sounds as dysfunctional as the stone hearts and hardheartedness scripture warns against and condemns. I imagine a pickle hearted Christian would be suspended in a fixed style of living, thinking, and even worshiping. Being pickled they look good, might be nice to be around, but they are no longer alive, growing, or connected to the vine.
That would be a dreadful state, a deadly state, of affairs. Perhaps you know some pickle hearted people. I hope you are not one! But if so, remember Jesus is still in the transformation business. He can restore and he can reattach to the vine. Confess, turn from your pickled ways, and he will rejoice with you in a restored new life.
FICKLE HEARTED
Being a fickle hearted child of God is no less deadly than being pickle hearted. It's just more disconcerting.
To be fickle means to be changing frequently, especially as regards one's loyalties, interests, or affection. This is the charge God brings against children in Hosea and so it is a warning God has issued for today.
In America, as in many other countries, fickle Christians are common place in and out of the churches.
Elsewhere scriptures describes fickle children of God as restless waves, wandering winds, people blown about by every situation that comes along and often by winds of false doctrines or ungodly practices. They may not be pickled, but as chameleon Christians that can make the pickled look like the genuine article. As such they do double damage to the kingdom of God.
In Hosea God has listed many complaints against his children. He has enumerated their errors, their sins, their false practices and motives. And he has declared again and again that disaster is coming upon them for their failure to repent and turn to him with a heart of love.
The core problem -- the hearts of the people are fickle.
Their loyalties switch from God to others to themselves to the pursuit of pure evil and back and forth. Their interests keep changing for God's interests to self interest, cultural interests, and whatever else may come along. And their affections?? Well, their affections are all over the place.
God disciples (punishes) his children when we are out of line. He punishes us for our own good and to help our heart give up our fickle ways. Hebrews 12 (see the link on the work 'punishes', which is the word translated disciplines) outlines how God's punishment of his children involves his love. We need to ask him to help us see his discipline his way so that we will benefit from his punishment and, even more so, from his warnings to us.
God speaks strongly to fickle hearts .
Fickle hearts are guilty hearts!
Fickle hearts MUST be punished.
Being fickle is not the lighthearted norm we treat it to be.
However, remember Jesus is still in the transformation business. He can restore, stabilize, dig around your vine, and prune your vine, so that your roots go deep in him, your heart becomes firmly committed, and you are no longer fickle.
Heed God's warning!
Confess, turn from your fickle ways, and he will rejoice with you in a restored new life.
Photo credit:
In Hosea God has listed many complaints against his children. He has enumerated their errors, their sins, their false practices and motives. And he has declared again and again that disaster is coming upon them for their failure to repent and turn to him with a heart of love.
The core problem -- the hearts of the people are fickle.
Their loyalties switch from God to others to themselves to the pursuit of pure evil and back and forth. Their interests keep changing for God's interests to self interest, cultural interests, and whatever else may come along. And their affections?? Well, their affections are all over the place.
GOD'S DISCIPLINE
God speaks strongly to fickle hearts .
Fickle hearts are guilty hearts!
Fickle hearts MUST be punished.
Being fickle is not the lighthearted norm we treat it to be.
However, remember Jesus is still in the transformation business. He can restore, stabilize, dig around your vine, and prune your vine, so that your roots go deep in him, your heart becomes firmly committed, and you are no longer fickle.
Heed God's warning!
Confess, turn from your fickle ways, and he will rejoice with you in a restored new life.
Photo credit:
Pickles by Mike
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