Hosea 10:12 Hosea’s life was God‘s message to Israel. Loving a prostitute and taking her as a wife, a humble Hosea walked in obedience to God. He was the living example of God’s love, His mercy and grace to an adulterous, idolatrous nation. In between conviction of Israel’s willful sin, and the coming judgment against her people for having plotted wickedness we find a teaching to sow according to righteousness and reap according to mercy and loving kindness. God’s prophetic word through Hosea was for them…to seek the Lord, to require His favor until He comes teaching righteousness, and ‘rains His righteous gift of salvation upon you’. Did the people of Israel have consider Hosea’s life as an example of God‘s love and mercy or would they see him as foolish and unwise? Did they understand the life lesson God revealed to them through Hosea? Do we…understand the truth about mercy and loving kindness? Sowing in righteousness, and reaping according to mercy and loving kindness… our hearts are to be as fertile ground, hungry for righteous seed planted by the Sower. Mercy and loving kindness is the harvest from the righteous seed. Is there any fallow ground in us? Is there any ‘uncultivated field’ ready for the sowing of righteous seed? How long has it been since we’ve asked God to search our heart? Is there any fallow, uncultivated, inactive ground that needs to be prepared for the Sower? Has our love and mercy grown cold? Are we strengthened by a spirit of Humility? Lord, we can’t change yesterday and we don’t know what’s coming tomorrow, but You’ve given us today. Lord, would You plant in us seeds of righteousness where there has been none and prepare us for a great harvest of mercy and loving kindness. We surrender our ground as servants of the King.