1/7 Quips from Hosea

“I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness” (Hosea 9:10)

As Israel was, so are we. Israel was as refreshing as “grapes in the wilderness”; a life-sustaining joy to the weary traveler, and so are we in the Lord. The Lord has taken great delight in His people, and yet we turn to other gods, and seek after self gratification. We are no longer “grapes in the wilderness” but thorns and thistles to hinder the wayfarer, and a reproach to Him Who sought us out. The beginning was good, but the end became rotten; Grapes left in the wilderness soon fade, and rot away, as a man left to himself; the grapes are there, but they must be found before they become a help to the traveler; let us seek the grapes that the Lord has provided for us, and not allow them to lie dormant, useless, and rotting on the vine. Yes, we were the delight of the Lord, and still can be if we will seek Him with our whole heart and mind and soul; we can also be a refreshment to others as we travel through this wilderness called life! It does not happen by osmosis; we must work to be what the Lord would have us to be. As we reach out to others, we represent the Lord, and are to be as grapes to the hungry soul.