Introduction

Good morning, beloved. It is indeed a joy to stand before you today. Together, we stand on the precipice of a new week, a new dawn, filled with promise and potential. This is a day that the Lord has made, and we are here to rejoice and be glad in it, to bask in the warm glow of His love, and to draw closer to Him through His Word.

Today, we turn our hearts and minds to the book of Hosea, chapter 10. In our walk with God, there are times when we come across passages that are like a mirror, reflecting back to us the state of our hearts and the depth of our commitment to God. Hosea 10 is one such passage.

Opening Scripture Reading – Let's read together, Hosea 10 [read text].

This passage, my friends, is a call to harvest righteousness from good soil, a plea against hardening our hearts, and a clarion call for spiritual reformation. It is a passage that challenges us to examine the state of our hearts, the sincerity of our worship, and the depth of our commitment to God.

Harvesting Righteousness from Good Soil

In the heart of Hosea's message, we find a powerful metaphor. The imagery of a vineyard, a spreading vine, is not unfamiliar to us. It's a picture that's painted often in the scriptures, a symbol of God's people. But here, it's a vine that's lost its way. It's a vine that's grown wild, untamed, its fruit not harvested for the glory of God, but for the self. This is the first lesson we can draw from this passage.

We are like that vine. We are meant to bear fruit, to flourish and grow, but not for our own sake. Our growth, our prosperity, is meant to be for the glory of God, to be a testament to His goodness, His grace. But too often, we lose sight of this. We become consumed with our own success, our own growth. We build more altitudes, adorn our sacred stones, all the while forgetting the one who gave us the ability to grow in the first place.

We must not forget God. This is a dangerous path to tread. For when we forget God, when we turn our backs on Him, we find ourselves in a barren land. Our hearts become deceitful, our guilt becomes a heavy burden we must bear. We find ourselves crying out for a king, for someone to save us, but we've forgotten the King of Kings, the one who can truly deliver us.

But there is hope. There is always hope with God. For even in our rebellion, even in our forgetfulness, God does not forget us. He does not abandon us. Instead, He calls us back to Him. He calls us to harvest righteousness from the good soil.

Cultivate a right heart. What does this mean? To harvest righteousness from good soil? It means to cultivate a heart that is open to God, a heart that is willing to receive His Word, His truth. It means to nurture a spirit of humility, of repentance, of faith. It means to bear fruit that is pleasing to God, fruit that is a testament to His goodness, His grace.

This is difficulty. It requires diligence, perseverance. It requires a willingness to let go of our own desires, our own ambitions, and to surrender ourselves fully to God. It requires a willingness to let God prune us, to cut away the parts of us that are not bearing fruit, so that we can grow stronger, healthier, more fruitful.

But the reward is worth the effort. For when we harvest righteousness from good soil, when we bear fruit that is pleasing to God, we find ourselves in a place of peace, of joy, of fulfillment. We find ourselves in the presence of God, basking in His love, His grace. We find ourselves truly living, not just existing.

Hardening Not Your Hearts

In the midst of the prophet Hosea's discourse, we find ourselves confronted with the stark imagery of a hardened heart ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO