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Have you ever gone to God, just because you needed something? That's exactly what Israel was doing.

Listen to our text today, Hosea 5:6:

With their flocks and herds they shall go
to seek the Lord,
but they will not find him;
he has withdrawn from them. — Hosea 5:6

Israel showed up with sacrifices for their sins. They brought offerings for a blessing. They behaved spiritually. But this wasn't surrender. It was a strategy. They were coming to get something from God.

Whatever they needed. Comfort. Provision. Protection.

In the end, every parent who has a child who only shows up when they need something knows what they want. They wanted a favor. And God refused.

"The [children] will not find him [because the Father] has withdrawn from them."

God will never be used. He knows his children and their hearts. What they wanted was not a Father. They only wanted a favor from the Father.

Israel had turned God into a means to an end. Someone to call when things went wrong, but ignore when things were going right. They wanted His help without His authority. His provision without His presence.

And God said, "No." Because God is not a tool. He is Lord. And He will not play a role in a relationship where He is only wanted for what He can give.

We do the same.

We pray only when we're in trouble. We seek God only when something breaks. We ask him for direction only when we feel lost. But how often do we come to him to know him? Not always for answers. Not always for relief. Just him and nothing else?

Today, don't ask God for a favor. Pursue a relationship. Lay down the transaction. Pick up devotion. Because you will never truly find God until you stop trying to use Him.

DO THIS:

Spend time with God today without asking for anything. Focus only on knowing Him—through Scripture, stillness, and honest presence.

ASK THIS:

1. Do I go to God mostly when I need something?
2. Have I treated God like a solution instead of a relationship?
3. What would it look like for me to pursue God—not His benefits?

PRAY THIS:

God, forgive me for the times I've tried to use you instead of knowing you. Teach me to seek you for who you are, not just for what you give. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

"Nothing Else"