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Read more about our mission to teach every verse of the bible in what we call Project23.

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Our text today is Hosea 9:3-4:

They shall not remain in the land of the Lord,
but Ephraim shall return to Egypt,
and they shall eat unclean food in Assyria.

They shall not pour drink offerings of wine to the Lord,
and their sacrifices shall not please him.
It shall be like mourners' bread to them;
all who eat of it shall be defiled;
for their bread shall be for their hunger only;
it shall not come to the house of the Lord. — Hosea 9:3-4

Not all freedom is real freedom.

Israel believed they were moving forward, but God says, "They shall return to Egypt." In other words, they were heading back into the slavery that God had delivered them from. What looked like progression was actually regression.

That is how sin works. It feels like freedom at first, but over time, it enslaves. What starts as a choice becomes a habit, and what becomes a habit slowly turns into dependence. In the end, what felt like freedom becomes bondage.

And it was because of their abuse of freedom that God says their religious practices and sacrifices would no longer please Him. Their connection with God was gone. While God had not moved, they had drifted into their own version of "freedom."

You know this drift into freedom. You know it just like me. You go through the motions, but something feels off. You show up to church, but there is no sense of closeness anymore. You try, but it feels pointless.

And here's the warning in these moments: The personal freedom you enjoy is leading you back into slavery.

But here is the hope: you do not have to continue down that path. You can give up these "freedoms" for freedom in Christ.

Turn now, before personal freedom hardens, before it worsens, before it begins to control you. Real freedom is not found in doing whatever you want. Real freedom is found with God, who provides ultimate freedom—freedom from sin.

DO THIS:

Identify one "freedom" in your life that may actually be forming a habit you do not want, and bring it honestly before God today.

ASK THIS:

1. What feels free but may be controlling me?
2. Where have I drifted from God?
3. What step can I take today to turn back?

PRAY THIS:

God, show me where I have mistaken bondage for freedom. Lead me back to you and into what is truly life. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

"No Longer Slaves"