“The Calves of Our Lips” (Hos 14:2)

“Take with you words, and turn to the Lord: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips” (vs2).

We serve God because He does us good, and this is the way. The Spirit is GIVEN freely, we receive the inheritance, and then we PRAISE God for the grace that He gives.

Grace is undeserved, un-sought, and not earned in any way; it is God‘s gift to sinners freely and un-expectantly; it is grace that didn‘t wait for anything in us before showering us with blessing. He says, “How shall I give you up, Ephraim? How shall I deliver you [to destruction], Israel? How shall I make you as Admah [destroyed]? How shall I set you as Zeboim?  My heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together”, so that while I deserve to die for my sins, I shall be CHASTENED and liberated by grace (Hos 11:8). I shall not die, but I shall return back to God by the power of His dealings. He says, “As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame”, so that what happens to us to whittle down our pride is actually a good thing, though He makes us hate life, hate self, and hate idolatry (Hos 4:7). We can find no peace and no salvation in the idols of human strength and glory. Therefore, we will receive our chastisement and take hold of His mercy to sinners.  He says, “Take with you words, and turn to the Lord: say unto him, Take away all iniquity”, so that GRACE wipes away sin so much that I’m pure and justified for blessings (Hos 14:2). By faith, I have all the righteousness that I need for whatever good the God of glory has promised, and it is MINE and yours in Christ, in whom the promises of God are yea, Amen, and SURE, “unto the glory of God by us” (2 Cor 1:20). It is not what I deserve, but what Christ DIED and justified the grace of God to GIVE that I receive freely. He teaches us to say, “do us good”, or, “receive us graciously”, so that we expect God to do what we cannot, which is cause the world to hear God and shake in their boots at the majesty of the King. Our ministry, without God, is a sham; it is nothing but shameful to us, helpless, and filled with weakness and tears. But, when God SPEAKS, He not only empowers us to SPEAK but also to live Christ, by whom we’re free and healed - “And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them.. And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.  And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things today“ (Luke 5:17, 25-26). The Holy Spirit is the difference between joy and misery, between fruit and flesh, and the Spirit is God’s gift to give our lives meaning, our ministry power, and our lives OBEDIENCE, so that we can praise God in life and word.

Without Him, we’re helpless, so He makes us see this fact PAINFULLY, so that we can LOOK to and seek the Lord’s honor and blessing. Now, that He is returned, we call upon Him to fulfill His promises, and God shall be faithful to do what He has said, even as He chastised us faithfully unto Christ - “For thus says the Lord of hosts; As I thought to punish you, when your fathers provoked me to wrath, says the Lord of hosts, and I repented not: so again have I thought in these days to do well unto Jerusalem and to the house of Judah: fear you not“ (Zech 8:14-15).