THE RIGHT WAY

THE RIGHT WAY

(Hosea 14:9)

Hosea 14:9 closes the book of Hosea with a finishing thought that should resonate in our minds.  He makes his concluding thought by asking two questions.  With all the admonition in this book, it is fitting that the Holy Spirit through Hosea would finish with making this point.  He says, “Who is wise?  Let him understand these things.  Who is prudent?  Let him know them.  For the ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them.”

It is easy to answer these questions in our minds and conclude that God’s way is the only right way.  Our knowledge of God’s word is so critical to be able to do this.  Man excuses himself today and merely changes God’s expectations in his own mind in order to excuse himself from having to know God’s way.  He does this by accepting the belief that God excepts any or all ways.  We see here in Hosea that will not work with God.  His way is the only “right way.”

We walk or fall according to the manner that we obey God’s word.  2 John 9 reminds us, “Whosoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does hot have God.  He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.” In Galatians 1:6-8 we are reminded of how Paul warned the Galatians of how they had allowed the doctrine of Christ (the right way) to be contaminated with remnants of the Old Law.  They were expressly instructed to not allow any changes to the “right way.”  He further warned them in chapter five that if they attempt to justify themselves in any other manner than the “right way,” they had “fallen from grace” (Gal. 5:4).

Sometimes the “right way” may not seem logical to our physical minds but we must remind ourselves that God is perfect, and we are not.  In Isaiah 55:8-9, Isaiah reminds us, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts; Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.”  Jeremiah 10:23 – “Oh Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.”  Proverbs 14:12 – “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”

We can clearly see, God has done the perfect thinking for us and provided us the “right way.”  We need not look for another way or consider how to incorporate what we want done.  Our only concern is to worship and obey a perfect, all powerful God exactly as He has commanded and instructed us to do.  We can only do that if we know his perfect and “right way.”

- Marc Hopkins