Hosea 6:3-“Let us know, Let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord, His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like rain, Like the latter and former rain to the earth.”
Let’s think about our life in terms of our purpose on this earth, things that we pursue day-to-day. Do you pursue money for expenses, studies for a degree/better prospects in life, a person with the intent to become our spouse, research/office/volunteer work to use our mind, fame and fortune to fill a gaping hole in our life or probably hobbies/interests to forget or postpone issues that we have to deal with? When we look at our life pursuits through the lens of our purpose on this earth, we will definitely want to adjust the settings of the pursuits to line up in good focus with our purpose.
God created us to bring Him glory in and through our lives. Where do we begin? To initiate anything, we need basic knowledge in the area. We need ‘to know’, have knowledge of our Lord; recognize, be acquainted with, and understand God. But, our Lord is too big and mighty to comprehend; our little mind cannot take in all of Him. Hence, He reveals Himself a little at a time and only to those who pursue the knowledge of Him. We then see that unlike everything else that changes in this world, our God stays the same: yesterday, today and forever. This is a good thing! Just as there is a morning every single day when the sun rises, God’s ‘going forth’ is prepared and most certain as dawn. God is there for us every single day, whatever happens, and come what may! God is explained as ‘the rain’ – the latter and former rain to the earth. In Israel, crops got watered only by rain, so farmers waited for rain with great anticipation. The first rain in autumn prepared the earth for the seeds. The second rain in spring prepared the full ear for the harvest. Similarly, when we wait for God with earnest expectation, He will come to us, prepare us to accept the seed of His Word, and then prepare us to be harvested.
Israel’s problem was described as – My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Hosea led the nation to repent to correct this problem. We ought be zealous to know God: to appreciate, give heed to, and cherish Him. When we come to God, we must believe that ‘He is’. When we pursue the knowledge of God, He blesses this pursuit. When we put our effort to know the Lord, especially through His Word, He reveals Himself to us. God rewards those who diligently seek Him. God’s gift is a repeated gift; if you had grace once, the Lord has more for you. God does not run out of gifts or resources for gifts. He will come to us like the winter and the spring rains that water us to bring forth wonderful fruits of His Holy Spirit.
