Speak to us, dear Jesus, in the storms of life and in the calm of rest; and lead us through the trials we experience by the comfort, power, love and strength of the Holy Spirit. May we hear Your word of encouragement crystal clear, and may we follow the Spirit’s leading step by step, to prove our faith to all and take the eternal prize of life! AMEN
Use these for group work, or to assist your personal reflection.
- In what ways do Christians behave ‘like Adam’ today, and how can we best deal with this in the life of the church?
- What does this passage of Old Testament prophecy teach us about the sins of God’s people today, especially about their divisions?
- How will God bring a harvest out of His people today, and how can we have confidence that God will do what He says?
Topis covered by this text
- The breaking of the covenant relationship with God
- Division and sin amongst God’s people
- God’s work through the ‘remnant ‘ of His people
Personal comments by author:
The more I read the Old Testament and study it, the more I find that the various references within the prophets make sense and add to our understanding of the passages. If you read prophecies like Hosea and Amos, then you will find a multitude of references to places and events, most of which seem incidental, and most of the Old Testament is indeed written entirely generally. So, where we have specific historic references, this can be helpful and potentially informative, and we need to take the time to look up what we can know from the Bible, and even use the internet to find out more, to explore the text thoroughly. Without this most of these passages just go over our heads!
Ideas for exploring discipleship
- When have you been deeply affected by something that has happened in the church that you feel is wrong, yet it has never been dealt with? How can we deal with things better in the life of the church, and sort out what is right and wrong before God?
- Track yourself over a week, and write down the things you think of as ‘sins’, which you have committed. Keep this private, of course, but use it as a means of asking the Lord for the forgiveness of your sins at the end of the week.
Please refer to the general advice on the page ‘discipleship challenges’
The notes below are offered to help you think about the challenges of God’s Word. Read the notes and suggestions below, but don’t try to follow through any more than one thing at any one time!