Do you respond to God's Word? Hosea 8-14

Hosea 14:9 (NASBStr)

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 righteous will walk in them,

But transgressors will stumble in them.

Hosea ends his prophecy with the above lines.   It is the summary of both the book and the walk or journey of the nation.   If they were wise they would have known the things the prophets have said are wise and would have sought to follow them.  Instead the words of God became as foreign to them, or as strange words.   Note the following from Hosea's pen:

Hosea 8:12 (NASBStr)

Though I wrote for him ten thousand precepts of My law,

They are regarded as a strange thing.

These words do not reflect a people of God.   Those with the eyes of faith see God's Words and knows they are right, to be believed in and acted upon.   Those with the eyes of the flesh simple pass on and ignore them.  They stumble by them.   The Words of God become a stumbling stone and are actually judged by them.   When we walk by faith (given by God) we see God's Words from His prophets as right and we walk in them.   Let's make sure that we don't follow Israel's pattern.   Walk in His ways and believe in them.   They are right.