The Father Heart of God. Hosea 11-12. 2026

Read Through the Bible in 2 years: Psalm 126, Hosea 11-12

Have you ever had those days when you want to say to your adult children, “Honey, don’t you forget, it was me who changed your dirty diapers. It was me who nursed you in the middle of the night, and it was me who bathed your naked little body. It was me who sang to you and rocked you to sleep. It was me who washed your skinned knees when you fell down in the driveway. It was me who brushed the knots out of your hair. It was me who taught you to sing the ABC’s and count to ten. Honey, trust me. You should listen to me.”

God has those days with us, too.

When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. The more they were called, the more they went away; they kept sacrificing to the Baals and burning offerings to idols.

Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk; I took them up by their arms, but they did not know that I healed them. I led them with cords of kindness, with the bands of love, and I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws, and I bent down to them and fed them.

Hosea 11:1-2

God hasn’t given up hope for His children, and we shouldn’t either.

Heavenly Father, please, draw our hearts back to You. Discipline us with Your rod of kindness and woo us with Your love. Lead us with the cords of kindness and hold us fast with Your bands of love. And Father, please, draw our children back to You. Discipline them, too, with Your rod of kindness and woo them with Your love. Lead them with the cords of kindness and hold them fast with Your bands of love. Teach us how to parent them with love and grace and humility and gentleness and courage and firmness and truth. Make us parents after You. Teach us how to be godly mommies because You are the perfect daddy. In the Name of Jesus Christ, Our Perfect Example of all things we pray. Amen.

He will Hold Me Fast – Sovereign Grace Music

As God Adds to Our Blessings, What Do We Do With Them? Hosea 9-10. 2026

Read Through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 125, Hosea 9-10

Israel is a luxuriant vine that yields its fruit. The more his fruit increased, the more altars he built; as his country improved, he improved his pillars.

Hosea 10:1 ESV

God has given us every good gift to enjoy. He has blessed us with heat and sunshine and air to breathe. He has given us homes to live in and children to fill them. He has blessed us with abundant food and wealth. He has given us eyes to see, ears to hear, and minds to comprehend. Yet, what do we do with all of these gifts?

Do we enjoy them or neglect them? Do we praise Him or take credit for them? Do we use them for good or for evil?

  • When was the last time you thanked God for the children sitting around your table or clinging to your legs?
  • When was the last time you thanked the Lord for dirty dishes and floors littered with clothes and toys?
  • When was the last time you took a leisurely walk outside and thanked God for the blue sky and warm sun?

It seems that the more full our homes and lives become, the less interested we become in the Lord. Why is that? Why would the Lord bless us with more if it will just turn our hearts away from Him?

His mercy keeps us begging for our daily bread. His mercy makes us hunger for the gift of a child. His mercy keeps us dependent on Him for a roof over our head and money in our bank account.

Sunday night I flew home after spending six long days and five short nights with my daughter and her three children under five. It was hard. It was messy. It was exhausting. But, oh, the memories it brought back.

Like all good farmers, this soil-preparing, seed-sowing, plant-tending work requires rising early and working late, but oh does it bear GREAT FRUIT.

“Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean, but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.” Proverbs 14:4 ESV

Last week, while I sat on the floor building trains with the 4.5 year old and 2.5 year old, we listened to “Sing the Bible” Volumes 1, 2, 3, and 4 by Slugs and Bugs on Pandora. “The Ox Song,” based on Proverbs 14:4, croons, “Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean, but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.” How true!

The Ox Song – Sing the Bible Vol 4 – Slugs and Bugs

No children = no legos to step on, no trains to pick up, no diapers to change.

But no children also means no little ones to put a smile on your face and joy in your heart and no older ones to help care for you in your old age.

Oh, dear younger moms, like Hannah Harper’s viral “String Cheese” lyrics say,

One day I’ll be alone with a hot fresh cup of Joe
Wishing that someone would just drop by
And I’ll sit and reminisce, the times that I sure miss
Scattered toys and a baby on my hip
I thought finding peace in the quiet’s what I wanted
But I’d give anything to go back to being needed

String Cheese – Hannah Harper

Heavenly Father, Help me to be faithful in the little things that You might entrust to me more things. Help me to be thankful for every single little gift, the birds that sing before the sun rises, the wind that blows gently through the trees, the sound of trickling water. Thank You for giving me eyes that see and ears that hear. Thank You for giving me a mind and heart that know You. And thank you especially for the children and grandchildren that you have blessed me with. May I be grateful for every day and every memory. The days are indeed long, but oh are the years so short. Amen.

Brian Sauve – Fruit is Heavy

Love God? Love Others – 2 Chronicles 34-36 – 2026 Day 83

Read the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 52, 2 Chronicles 34-36


Love God? Love Others – 2 Chronicles 34-26 – FormerAtheist58
How Deep the Father’s Love for Us – JJ Heller

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Our Sins are Many but His Mercy is MORE – 2 Chronicles 33 – 2026 Day 82

Read the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 50-51, 2 Chronicles 33


Our Sins are MANY – His Mercy is MORE – 2 Chronicles 33 – FormerAtheist58
Create in me a Clean Heart – Keith Green
His Mercy is More – T4G Live

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Relying on God and Working by HIS STRENGTH 💪🏋️‍♂️⚜️ 2 Chronicles 26-28 – 2026 Day 79

Read the Bible in 2 Years: 2 Chronicles 26-28, Psalm 47

Relying on God and Working by HIS STRENGTH 💪🏋️‍♂️⚜️ 2 Chronicles 26-28 – FormerAtheist58
Selah – “Twila Paris Medley” – (Official Lyric Video)

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The Lord is able to ABUNDANTLY RESTORE More Than You’ve Squandered – 2 Chronicles 25 – 2026 Day 78

Read the Bible in 2 Years: 2 Chronicles 25, Psalm 46

Please forgive the ridiculous AI graphic. Apparently, this is what AI thinks of as “people wasting their money,” but the point remains. God is able to ABUNDANTLY RESTORE more than you’ve squandered, even if it’s on $25 cups of coffee and $35 bags of truffle chips.

The Lord is able to ABUNDANTLY RESTORE More Than you’ve Squandered – 2 Chronicles 25 – FormerAtheist58
If it had not been for the Lord – Keith & Kristyn Getty – video by Ridgeway Community Church

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Pray for your Pastors – 2 Chronicles 23-24 – 2026 Day 77

Read the Bible in 2 Years: 2 Chronicles 23-24, Psalm 45

But Jehoiada grew old and full of days, and died. He was 130 years old at his death. And they buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, and toward God and his house.

Now after the death of Jehoiada the princes of Judah came and paid homage to the king. Then the king listened to them. And they abandoned the house of the LORD, the God of their fathers, and served the Asherim and the idols. And wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this guilt of theirs.

Yet he sent prophets among them to bring them back to the LORD. These testified against them, but they would not pay attention.

Then the Spirit of God clothed Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, and he stood above the people, and said to them, “Thus says God, ‘Why do you break the commandments of the LORD, so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the LORD, he has forsaken you.’”

But they conspired against him, and by command of the king they stoned him with stones in the court of the house of the LORD. Thus Joash the king did not remember the kindness that Jehoiada, Zechariah’s father, had shown him, but killed his son. And when he was dying, he said, “May the LORD see and avenge!”

2 Chronicles 24:15-22 ESV

PRAY for your PASTORS! – FormerAtheist58
Speak O Lord – Keith & Kristyn Getty

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Being a Godly Wife, Mother, and Sister – 2 Chronicles 21-22 – 2026 Day 76

Read the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 44, 2 Chronicles 21-22

Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal family of the house of Judah.

But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took Joash the son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the king’s sons who were about to be put to death, and she put him and his nurse in a bedroom.

Thus Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King Jehoram and wife of Jehoiada the priest, because she was a sister of Ahaziah, hid him from Athaliah, so that she did not put him to death.

And he remained with them six years, hidden in the house of God, while Athaliah reigned over the land.

2 Chronicles 22:10-12 ESV

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Being a Godly Wife, Mother, & Sister – FormerAtheist58
Your Nature – Eli Gable

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Don’t Know What to Do? TURN to GOD – 2 Chronicles 19-20 – 2026 Day 75

Read the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 43, 2 Chronicles 19-20

“We do not know what to do,
but our eyes are on you.”

2 Chronicles 20:12b
Don’t Know What to Do? Turn to God – FormerAtheist58
And Can it Be? – Grace Community Church

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God is Sovereign. He Holds Your Life in His Hands – 2 Chronicles 17-18 – 2026 Day 74

Read the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 42, 2 Chronicles 17-18

As soon as the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “It is the king of Israel.”

So they turned to fight against him. And Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him; God drew them away from him. For as soon as the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him. But a certain man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel between the scale armor and the breastplate.

Therefore he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn around and carry me out of the battle, for I am wounded.” And the battle continued that day, and the king of Israel was propped up in his chariot facing the Syrians until evening.

Then at sunset he died.

2 Chronicles 18:31-34 ESV

God is Sovereign. He Holds Your Life in His Hands – FormerAtheist58
O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing – Grace Community Church

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