Winter Devotional

Book of Hosea Chapter 14 This final chapter brings an exquisite conclusion to the writings of Hosea. Each phrase is filled with hope for the Israelites. Without condescension, Hosea held them by the hand and showed them exactly what they…

Book of Hosea Chapter 13 As we approach the end of Hosea’s narrative, you may have noticed a shift in the text. We see several and varied recollections of the history of the Israelites, both what God had done in…

Book of Hosea Chapter 12 The next two chapters again look back to the history of the Israelites. In today’s reading, we notice various references to the past that the Lord wanted to emphasize. Most significantly, Hosea recalled a time…

Book of Hosea Chapter 11 Any time we open the Bible, we can see the multi-faceted, mysterious character of God. Every passage we read gives us new insight. We tend to take particular interest in how He relates to humanity.…

Book of Hosea Chapter 10 Agrarian imagery continues into today’s reading: vines, weeds, sowing, threshing and the like. Chapter 10 opens with the metaphor: “Israel is a spreading vine…” Throughout the Bible, Israel is often compared to vines and vineyards.…

Book of Hosea Chapter 9 We get a sense of everyday work and family in today’s reading, albeit in a rather dismal way. Threshing floors – where grain was removed from its stalk – and winepresses would have been common…

Book of Hosea Chapter 8 The charge against the Northern Kingdom’s political leaders continues into today’s reading. Because of verse two, it would seem that some people had caught wind of what God was trying to communicate through His prophet…

Book of Hosea Chapter 7 Chapter Seven does not really have a beginning; it commences in the middle of the flow that started in Chapter Six. You may have noticed at the end of the previous chapter that Judah was…

Book of Hosea Chapter 6 You may have noticed that the person Hosea has essentially disappeared from the narrative. He wrote about himself only in Chapters one and three when he followed through on the instructions God gave him. In…

Book of Hosea Chapter 5 Today’s reading continues the same motifs we’ve been examining in earlier chapters, both in words and in message: expressive language; strong, graphic images; unfaithfulness, prostitution and no acknowledgement of God. This repetition emphasizes the importance…