"For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, And He ponders all his paths. His own iniquities entrap the wicked man, And he is caught in the cords of his sin. He shall die for lack of instruction, And in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray." Aside from the loss of salvation, another of my greatest fears is memory loss. When I’ve forgotten something or seem to have misplaced something, regardless of the degree of significance, my entire being freezes up and quickly succumbs to panic and anxiety. In the midst of persuading myself to calm down, my mind naturally wanders off to God, seeking comfort and reassurance in the fact that God knows, never forgets, and is in control; He will allow me to recall thoughts and find things most necessary and in the timeliest manner. Similarly, we see God recounting through Hosea some of the earliest Israelite histories that the present-day Israelites (at the time of Hosea) should clearly commit to memory, learn and move forward from. These histories should not simply be left in the past and counterproductively repeated in the future. As modern-day followers of God, we learn not to follow in the Israelites’ footsteps. Yet, try as we might, do we not also find ourselves stuck in the same old sins? Do we not remember to change for a moment, then forget or overlook this commitment in the next? Sooner than any of us expects, we will have to stand before God, made fully accountable for our past and sin. While it is still called ‘Today’, should we not recount the error of our ways, turn away from them, lest it is too late, and God Himself turns away? “… I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. None of them shall teach his neighbour, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” Just as nothing escapes the eyes and mind of our LORD, may each breath we take be a remembrance unto Him.

Dive into the tender, parental love of God revealed in Hosea 11's imagery.

Hosea Chapter 10 has two agriculture-related metaphors. What do these metaphors have to do with us today?

Are we at a risk of losing the blessings that we have received from God?

What does it mean to know God? As we go about our daily lives, have we inadvertently left God behind?

A principal of a school slated for school merger addressed the staff, asking them how they want the school to be remembered by?  For with the merger, the school will no longer retained its name.  And by it, the school’s identity may be lost.   Will the community remember the school for its past notoriety?  Or will they reminiscence of the good that the school brought to the residence in the vicinity?  Do the community heave a sigh of relief, with glee, bidding farewell to the troublemakers that constantly disturb the peace.  Or will there be a lasting regret and sadness that the bringer of joy, bringest no more. But then again, how long will the thoughts and memories linger?   We know that the memory of men may be even shorter than one’s lifespan.  Unless one’s record of philanthropy or one’s cruel misdeeds is recorded and constantly brought to mind (such as Hitler’s despotism), those that are unrecorded will fade with time. However, it is not so with our God.  He remembers all things.   How do we want to be remembered by Him. Do we want Him to remember all the wickedness (verse 2) and for Him to pour forth His wrath or do we want Him to remember us for mercy (Psalm 25:7), that by it, our souls are preserved and delivered from destruction. Are we the silly dove (verse 11) who do not know the will of God, who do not trust and rely on Him at all times.  Or are we like the lovely dove that does the work for God (Gen 8:8 – 12). Are we like the pigeons (same family as the doves) that has been a nuisance and a danger to society (droppings of pigeons are known to be toxic and pose health risks).  Or are we empowered with the Spirit, to have a nature like our Lord, full of meekness and submissiveness (Matt 10:16).   Are we like the cake unturned (verses 4 – 8), full of sins (leavened), unrepentant and inflamed with lust and desires.  Just like such cake, burned on one side and uncooked on the other, is unfit for consumption, but will be discarded and disposed off unceremoniously.  We who remain so, will also be treated likewise.  Let us rather be the well baked cake, that walks in the way of the Lord, a delight to savour, a goodness to enjoy and a sustainer of life.    Are we a treacherous bow, crooked and perverse.  Not only do we not shoot straight and do the work that is intended.  But like a gun that is faulty, we may implode when used, and endanger the one using the gun.  Do we bring harm to ourselves and to our love ones beside us.  Let us instead be upright and true in the eyes of God, so that we are a faithful servant that the Lord will have need of. How do we want to be remembered by?  Not just by the people around us, but more importantly, how do we want our to be remember by God.

At this juncture, it appears that, outwardly, God’s people did not forget their ritualistic offering of sacrifices (Hosea 5: 6). Inwardly, they had forsaken and abandoned God’s true mercy, had given up keen adherence to the knowledge of God – His truth (Hosea 4:1), which would in turn liken their sacrifices to mere acts of habitual vanity. God would rather our devotion to the preservation of upright hearts, pure and filled with truth and mercy, than sacrifice in surplus. Although God’s holiness compels Him to turn His face away from man’s stubborn cycles of sin, here in Hosea 6, prophet Hosea concisely illustrates the extent of God’s enduring righteousness. God alone has the power and authority to build up and destroy, reject and redeem, erase and save. What God requires of us is simply our honest admission of the error of our ways and the humble seeking of His forgiveness unto salvation. As weak and flawed individuals, we will never be able to achieve perfection in our Christian conduct and character. However, how faithful are we in our daily pursuit of God’s standard? Is our resolve as fleeting as early dew? Or, even in trials and affliction, tests of our faith, are we as resilient and relentless as lapping waves against a shore? May this short chapter be a hopeful reminder to us that our God has remained and continues to remain merciful and faithful to the chosen who ultimately and wholeheartedly choose to repent and return to Him, over and over again.

What does it mean to sincerely seek the Lord? How can we be sure that we are truly seeking for Him?