MINOR PROPHETS

It is going to be a great day.  I'm looking forward to seeing what God has in store for my life today and how I might be of help to people.  I will enjoy our staff prayer meeting this morning as we humble ourselves on our faces before God seeking His divine favor.  I'm in the Minor Prophets this morning and here are a few thoughts: 1) AS A LEOPARD- In Hosea 13:7, it says:  "... as a leopard by the way will I observe them:"  I normally would not pay much attention to that except for the fact that I've seen a mounted leopard, and know how they hunt.  To catch them you have to bait a kill by tying it up into a tree and the leopard will come at night by smell and go after the bait.  You then have to put a spot light on it to shoot it.  Now, here God says He will watch Israel as a leopard.  What does that mean?  A leopard watches from cover... God is watching us when we are not aware of it.  A leopard hunts at night.... God watches us when it is so dark that we think no one can see us.  The idea is that a leopard is illusive and hardly ever seen.  God is like that.  He watches over us and we seldom see any sign that He is around us, but He is there!  He is watching over us and guarding us.  He protects us and He corrects us!  God may be in the shadows of your life, but He is watching over you!  Take heart dear one! 2) I WILL RESTORE- In Joel 2:25, we have this marvelous verse:  "And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you."  God will restore the years that were lost in sin, and restore the life that was corrected by God.  Isn't that a precious promise to anyone who got off the beaten path with God and saw their life go up in flames, saw the destruction of their efforts, their family, their health, their finances, their children, etc.   God says that if we (vs. 12) "turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: (13) And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God:  for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of evil."  IF we do these things.... THEN... "I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten..."  Praise God!!  There is hope for every chastened Christian to have a happy future!!  3) GET WHAT WE CAN FOR GOD!  In Amos 3:12, we have a verse that tells us how God is getting the remnant of Israel.  it says:  "Thus saith the LORD; As the shepherd taketh out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear; so shall the children of Israel be taken out that dwell in Samaria in the corner of a bed, and in Damascus in a couch."  To illustrate God's efforts to pull out a remnant from Samaria and Damascus (places to which some godly have fled); God likens himself to a shepherd who seeing that the lamb has been killed, still reaches into the very mouth of the lion and pulls out all he can... two legs, or a piece of an ear!  The idea is that though Israel has been almost destroyed, God will pull for all the pieces of it that He can.  Now the application:  We are in a sin cursed world, heading into eternity without God and towards sure judgment; BUT... we should be pulling for all of the pieces we can to present to the LORD!!  We should run the buses, reach the children, win the teenagers, and reach a few parents for Christ's sake, before sure destruction comes!  Keep reaching into the mouth of the lion and pulling out a few precious pieces... don't just give in and say "let him have them".. .. No!  Never!!  Go for them! Well, just a few thoughts.... have a blessed day!  Pastor Mike Mutchler