I have not been reading and journaling the Bible the last couple of weeks. I did not feel up to blogging, but reading the entire Bible and sharing my experience is my goal. So, I am back today to continue. Sometimes we have to make a decision to keep pressing forward toward God, regardless of our thoughts or feelings.

Today I read Hosea 13, where God describes the fierceness and pain of the Lord’s wrath for worshiping false gods. Today I considered that God will punish us for making other things our idols or false gods.

Sin and Doom

God describes Ephraim’s sin and Ephriam’s doom (Hosea 13:1-16). God describes how bad Ephraim’s sin has become to include sacrificing children and worshipping idols. God says the people do not remember how God has protected and provided for them in the wilderness. God’s wrath will be like a bear that lost her cubs and as painful as a woman giving birth. Samaria will be devastated for abandoning God.

Questions and Thoughts for Today

God knows whether we are sinning and if we have idols and can punish us accordingly. I have witnessed God punish people who put other people as their idol. They would put that person first, give all they had, live in sin for the person, and defend the person even when they knew the person did wrong. God allowed those people to sometimes wreck their lives for the idol they were following.

Can you describe how someone’s life was harmed by putting another person as their idol?