Hosea writes about normal activities and brings home a very special connection with our spiritual life as we saw last week in chapter 1 with marriage and family. These verses in Hosea 6 begin with some words of challenge and hope. We need to repent and we need to remember that God will help us. Hosea uses examples in the following verses that we can identify with.
“Come, let us return to the Lord. For He has torn us, and He will heal us; He has wounded us, and He will bind up our wounds. He will revive us after two days, and on the third day He will raise us up so we can live in His presence. Let us strive to know the Lord. His appearance is as sure as the dawn. He will come to us like the rain, like the spring showers that water the land.” Hosea 6:1-3, HCSB.
“Hosea prayed this full of confidence in God’s love and power to restore. In the prayer, there is a shadowy prophecy of Jesus’ resurrection on the third day. The context supports this wonderfully; on the cross Jesus was torn and stricken for our sake, yet He was also gloriously raised up on the third day.”
From Enduring Word. Jesus gave Himself on the Cross. He died in our place so that we might experience an eternal blessing. His resurrection on the third day fills us with hope. Today we dedicate the shoeboxes that they would be a blessing to children who have very little. The simple action of giving a gift like a shoebox of special things to a child can have lasting implications. Pray that these children are introduced to Jesus who is the greatest gift of all.