Daily Devotional for Sunday, July 12

The Ruin of Israel

“The days of visitation are come, the days of recompence are come; Israel shall know it: the prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is mad, for the multitude of thine iniquity, and the great hatred,” Hosea 9:7.
There is a saying, “First evil is tolerated, then embraced, then hailed as being good until it becomes unlawful to do that which is actually good.” It is uncertain who said this, but there is much truth to the statement. I recall a sermon my father preached in which he called out the sin of homosexuality, citing many Scriptures. Following the service, he was berated by a church member for what he had preached. I remember feeling shocked and heartbroken that acceptance of such sin had come into the church body. Come to find out, this individual had a family member who had embraced a homosexual lifestyle. Rather than stand with God and His Word, this person chose to stand with the evil choices of his family.
The more God’s people condone sinful behavior, the more acceptable it will become. Israel’s downfall did not happen overnight. As Israel sank deeper and deeper into idolatry and immoral behavior, it became the way of life for the people of God. When God sent His prophets to Israel, they were seen as fools and fanatics. God’s own chosen people were hostile to His message of truth, and it led to their ruin.
Let us look at our own nation today. Not only is sexual perversion tolerated and accepted, but it is also glorified. We are pressured on every side to embrace evil such as homosexuality and transgenderism or be deemed hateful and unloving. Nothing is further from the truth! Remember that love “rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth” (1 Corinthians 13:6). We can stand against sin while still loving people and giving them the gospel of Jesus Christ.

REFLECTION
Are you ready to stand firm on the Word of God no matter the cost? Be bold for Christ!

Darla Goodrum