After the Damage is Done

Hosea 7:6

“For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgement of God rather than burnt offerings.”

You know you screwed up. Wrecked the place and tore out the hearts of the people you care about. Selfishly, you went all the way and did not hold back. You were not going to stop until everyone heard what you had to say. What’s even worse is the fact that you feel much better, kind of vindicated, after all that verbal abuse. You have been walking your own way for a while now, and for someone to come in and tell you what to do, well, no, they didn’t. You have acquired some people along the way, you call friends, but you know they won’t stick around. They are party people, they only hang around when the party is going strong, and the rest of the time they are like leeches that suck the lifeblood out of everyone they are close to. The last thing you need is for some self-righteous Bible thumper telling you what to do.

Welcome to Israel, a place that has seen God take them through the Red Sea on dry ground and wipe out the mightiest army on the planet in one day. The same people who were fed miraculously by the Lord in the desert for 40 years and even conquered mightier nations and settled in a land the Lord gave them.

This group of people, the Israelites, had moved on from all that because sin was too attractive, and they were led astray. The Bible even says in verse 4 of chapter 5, “A spirit of prostitution is in their heart; they do not acknowledge the Lord.”

The verse today is a tiny bit of the character of the Lord. We think we have to sacrifice our way back to the Lord and, in those days, offer burnt offerings until all the sin is covered. In modern times, we feel we have to devote ourselves to going to church. He says His desire is for mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgement of God rather than burnt offerings. He wants your heart, in other words. “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22–23).

You want to know how to pick up the pieces after you have broken most of the ones around you? Accept mercy and acknowledge Jesus in your heart. All the shallow commitments and sacrifices won’t heal you. You may have been in a selfish world and have spun out of control, but the Lord says in verse 1 of chapter 6, “…but He will bind up our wounds.” Have you had enough yet?

Prayer: Father, I pray that I will acknowledge you in all my ways. I pray that I will be strong enough in you to turn from sin and stubborn pride and humbly submit myself to you and your way. I have had enough of my own ways and how they seem to mess things up. I give you my all, in Jesus’ name, amen.