Talk is Cheap.

Hosea 6:

“Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces; now he will heal us. He has injured us; now he will bandage our wounds. In just a short time he will restore us, so that we may live in his presence. Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring.”

"The Lord says, “Then I will heal you of your faithlessness; my love will know no bounds, for my anger will be gone forever." -- Hosea 14:4

- When our will is weak, when our thinking is confused, and when our conscience is burdened with a load of guilt, we must remember that God cares for us continually; His love knows no bounds.When friends and family desert us, when coworkers don't understand us, and when we are tired of being good, God's love knows no bounds. When we can't see the way, or seem to hear God's voice, and when we lack courage to go on, God's love knows no bounds. When our shortcomings and our awareness of our sins overcome us, God's love knows no bounds.

"Seek the Lord, all who are humble, and follow his commands. Seek to do what is right and to live humbly." -- Zeph. 2:1-3

“O Israel and Judah, what should I do with you?” asks the Lord. "For your love vanishes like the morning mist and disappears like dew in the sunlight."

Many find it easy and comfortable to maintain the appearance of being committed without deep and sincere loyalty. If you profess loyalty to God, back it up with your actions.

"Then they remembered that God was their rock, that God Most High was their redeemer. But all they gave him was lip service; they lied to him with their tongues. Their hearts were not loyal to him. They did not keep his covenant." -- Psalm 78:35-37

- Talk is cheap. God wants our conduct to back up our spiritual claims and promises.

God doesn't want us some of the time, He wants our complete devotion.

"I take joy in doing your will, my God, for your instructions are written on my heart.” -- Psalm 40:8

"I sent my prophets to cut you to pieces— to slaughter you with my words, with judgments as inescapable as light. I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings. But like Adam, you broke my covenant and betrayed my trust."

- Why do you worship? What is the motive behind your sacrifices and offerings?

"Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams." -- 1 Samuel 15:22

- Religious ceremonies or rituals are empty unless they are performed with an attitude of love and obedience. Being "religious" is not enough if we do not act out of devotion and obedience to God.

"You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering.The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God." -- Psalm 51:16-17

- You can never please God by outward actions, no matter how good, if your heart attitude is not right.

"No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God." -- Micah 6:6-8

- In your efforts to please God, examine these areas on a regular basis. Are you fair in your dealings with people? Do you show mercy to those who wrong you? are you learning humility?

“Gilead is a city of sinners, tracked with footprints of blood. Priests form bands of robbers, waiting in ambush for their victims. They murder travelers along the road to Shechem and practice every kind of sin. Yes, I have seen something horrible in Ephraim and Israel: My people are defiled by prostituting themselves with other go" restore the fortunes of my people."

"Do you really think you can steal, murder, commit adultery, lie, and burn incense to Baal and all those other new gods of yours, and then come here and stand before me in my Temple and chant, “We are safe!”—only to go right back to all those evils again?" -- Jeremiah 7:9-10

All of that, was our Bible study tonight. Bolded is what our study was over, italicized is the other verses we read, or the footnotes in my Bible. I heard a new song yesterday, called New Again: "Whatever happens, whatever you see...Whatever your eyes tell you has become of me, This is not not the end, I am making all things new again." which I found to be so fitting for this study.

We are made in Him, and we should live for Him. I am nowhere near perfect, just like everyone else. I've been on that path, when you stop following Him... and I never want to go back, and don't plan on it. But, we are human, and even when we follow His path, we make mistakes. But that's why it's called a walk, it takes steps... every day, to grow closer to Him. Just because we are followers doesn't mean we are automatically "safe" and will get into Heaven, we have to ask for forgiveness too. Though, that doesn't mean act however you want and then ask for forgiveness.

"Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall."
- Romans 14:13