Spiritual Sunday: Sow to Yourselves in Righteousness

I read the book of Hosea a few months ago. It completely stopped me in my tracks, with the prophet, Hosea's compelling pleas to Israel and Judah. Verse 12 in chapter 10 has become my new favorite scripture.

Sow to yourselves

in righteousness,

Reap in mercy.

Break up

your fallow ground;

For it is time

to Seek the Lord.

till He come

and rain Righteousness

upon you.

I love the imagery in this verse. I love the idea of planting seeds of faith and righteousness in my life. I love the idea of reaping in mercy and kindness to others. I love the idea of breaking of the ground in my heart and preparing it for the rain of righteousness from the Lord to come down upon me.

I asked my friend, an artist, RUOILED, to create a picture for me of this verse. And this is what she made.

Do you have a favorite scripture that has really touched you? Do you do Bible journaling?

© 2007-2016 TIFFANY WACASER ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Spiritual Sunday: The Lord Never Forgets Us

The Prophet Jacob taught a sermon to his people, the Nephites, after many years of living in the Promised Land. He quoted a long passage from the Prophet Zenos. In our current Bible, we do not have the words of Zenos. But we do know that his words were contained in the brass plates. 

Zenos created an extremely long and complex allegory of a olive tree vineyard where the olive tree symbolized the House of Israel.  So many times, the olive tree would become corrupted or fail to thrive. The Master of the vineyard would do everything he could to revive the trees and help them to flourish. 

This allegory is an overview of the history of the children of Israel and how deeply invested the Lord is in his people. In times past, I have felt so removed from this story and stories in the Old Testament until reading the Book of Amos and the Book of Hosea. In particular, the book of Hosea has really struck a chord with me. Here are a few verses that have really moved me.

 10 ¶Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as thesand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.

 11 Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel. (Hosea 1: 10-11)

23 And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God. (Hosea 2:23)

In pondering these verses and the allegory of the olive vineyard, I have realized that this isn't just a remote story, but it is my story. The message to me that comes through from all these stories is that the Lord never gives up on us and the atonement is always there for us, even when we are caught in the deepest chains of sin and addiction. We can always turn to Him and find healing and cleansing. 

Isn't that wonderful?

© 2007-2016 TIFFANY WACASER ALL RIGHTS RESERVED