TODAY’S NEWS

I recently read a local newspaper and was alarmed by the amount of crime, drugs, politics and political accusations of corruption, sex and sex marketing of every kind, murder, shootings, violence, atheistic commentary and several articles on global warming and the end of all life on earth. Not that it wasn’t similar to many other newspapers I have read but it just seemed really loaded with negative news.

Then in the afternoon I was reading in the Book of Hosea, one of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament. His book is from the middle of the eighth century, and he wrote this; “Hear the word of the Lord, O people of Israel; for the Lord has an indictment (a case) against the inhabitants of the land. There is no faithfulness or loyalty, and no knowledge of God in the land. Swearing, lying, and murder, and stealing and adultery break out; bloodshed follows bloodshed. Therefore the land mourns, and all who live in it languish; together with the wild animals and the birds of the air, even the fish of the sea are perishing.” Hosea 4:1-3

So, almost three thousand years ago Hosea was writing today’s news. He ends his book with this:
“Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity. Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them; for the ways of the Lord are right, and the upright walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them.” That is still the remedy for our ‘bad news’ days as well.

“But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Jesus