An Empty Vine

In the book of Hosea we read, Israel is an empty vine. He bringeth forth fruit unto himself. According to the multitude of his fruit he hath increased his altars.

According to the goodness of his land they have made goodly images. Their heart is divided. Now shall they be found faulty.

He shall break down their altars. He shall spoil their images. Here, in the days of Hosea, the Jews had become a self-centered people with no fear of God.

Before their eyes they had fallen into idolatry and built pagan altars for Baal as a means to have their crops increased. But God looks at them and declares Israel is but an empty vine. The fruit they bring forth is only wild grapes, merely fruit unto themselves, for their heart was divided.

Whenever the people of God become worldly, then their service to God falls along the lines of self-recognition, self-promotion, and self-preservation. Though they claim to be busily occupied for God, their lives are found faulty because two can't walk together except they be agreed. A divided heart will only produce rotten fruit that appears but for a little while until the worms in the sun get it.

We must ask the question, has the church in our land, in our day, become an empty vine? We must be honest with ourselves and transparent before God and ask the question of ourselves, is my ministry and my life right now an empty vine? I've evaluated my life through the years and I could admit there have been times more often than I wish where I was nothing more than an empty vine. I like the remarks of my good friend Ted Randall who said, God is looking for a man who will throw himself entirely on God whenever self-effort, self-glory, self-seeking, or self-promotion enters into the work of revival, then God leaves us to ourselves. Well, I agree with that conclusion, friends.

We live in a day of a worldly church where God has left us to ourselves. Only a heaven-sent revival can bring about a change and pull us out of our predicament. A flaming, holy ghost revival that burns away the dross and separates the chaff from the wheat.

A holy ghost revival that grips us with a God consciousness and reestablishes Christ's preeminence in our sanctuaries and his prominence in our lives. With those thoughts in mind, friends, let me lead us in a time of prayer into the presence of the King. Oh, great God, how we need your presence in our midst today.

Forgive us for attempting to serve you with a divided heart. Forgive me, Lord, for all the times in my own life where I was but an empty vine. Let me bear some fruit for you that will impact eternity.

Grant me the grace to turn everything over to you so that every inch of me and every ounce of me and every bit of me is on your altar and surrendered to your lordship. Grant these things, I pray in the strong name of Jesus. Amen.