RETURN to ME: Reading With the People of God #16Sample

Lip Service or Love?
Today’s readings pull back the curtain on the kind of faith that looks right on the outside but is hollow within. In Hosea, God speaks with heartbreak: “Your love is like the morning mist, like the early dew that disappears (Hosea 6:4b NIV)… For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings” (Hosea 6:6 NIV) It’s a sobering image—a faith that fades when put to the test. God doesn’t want ritual without relationship. He desires real love.

In Mark, Jesus calls disciples not just to follow Him physically, but to belong to Him deeply—to be part of His true family, those who do the will of God. Even the religious elite miss the point, accusing Jesus instead of receiving Him.

These passages aren’t just ancient confrontations—they’re personal invitations. They ask us to examine our faith: Is it rooted, enduring, real? Or is it performative, shallow, and convenient?

Today, don’t just read—return. Return with honesty, with hunger, with a heart ready to be reshaped. God is not looking for perfect performance but for people willing to be with Him fully.

Let the words of Hosea and the actions of Jesus search you, invite you, and call you back.