The Bible in a Year
“Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear.” — Hosea 6:3
Many of us have prayed, “Lord, show me Your will.” We want to know which opportunity to accept, which direction to travel, or how a difficult situation will end. We sometimes imagine God’s will as a concealed map that we must somehow persuade Him to reveal. Hosea offers a different picture. Rather than promising that we will understand every future decision in advance, the prophet calls us to press on in knowing the Lord Himself.
Hosea ministered to Israel during the eighth century before Christ, when outward prosperity concealed spiritual unfaithfulness. The people continued religious practices while repeatedly turning to idols, political alliances, and their own strength. Against that background, Hosea records an invitation to return: “Come, let us return to the Lord” (Hosea 6:1). Knowing God’s will begins with returning to God.
The King James Version reads, “Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord.” The Hebrew can be rendered more directly, “Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord.” The word yadaʿ, translated “know,” describes more than possessing information. It often refers to relational, experiential knowledge. The verb radaf, translated “press on,” carries the sense of pursuing or following earnestly. Hosea is not describing a casual curiosity about God. He is calling us to pursue faithful relationship with Him.
This corrects a common misunderstanding. The central question is not simply, “How can I discover God’s plan for my life?” It is, “How can my life become increasingly faithful to the God I am learning to know?” God’s will is not merely a destination to discover; it is a relationship in which we learn to walk.
That walk unfolds one act of obedience at a time. God seldom shows us the entire road. More often, His Word provides enough light for the next step. Psalm 119 says, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path” (Psalm 119:105). A lamp in the ancient world did not illuminate miles ahead. It gave travelers sufficient light to place the next foot safely. In the same way, tomorrow’s direction often becomes clearer while I obey what God has already shown me today.
However, obedience must not become a formula by which I attempt to force God to disclose the future. Sometimes we may obey faithfully and still face uncertainty. Scripture clearly reveals God’s moral will: love Him, love our neighbor, speak truth, practice justice, forgive, remain sexually faithful, care for the vulnerable, and become increasingly like Christ. Yet Scripture may not name the particular job we should accept or the city in which we should live. In such decisions, God ordinarily guides us through biblical wisdom, prayer, circumstances, mature counsel, and the character He is forming within us.
Our will must also become willing to do His will. Sometimes I say that I want God’s direction when what I really want is divine approval for a decision I have already made. Jesus exposes this tendency when He says, “Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God” (John 7:17). A teachable heart approaches God with open hands: “Lord, I will follow where You lead, even if the answer differs from what I hoped.”
Hosea also warns us against temporary devotion. Immediately after the people declare their intention to pursue God, the Lord says their love is “like the morning mist, like the early dew that disappears” (Hosea 6:4). Their words sounded sincere, but their faithfulness evaporated quickly. God wanted more than religious enthusiasm. He desired covenant love and genuine knowledge of Him: “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings” (Hosea 6:6).
The Word of God therefore remains central to discerning His will. We cannot claim to follow Christ while neglecting the Scriptures that reveal His character and teaching. As we read, the Spirit corrects our motives, reshapes our desires, and teaches us to recognize what resembles Jesus. The Bible may not answer every question in the form we prefer, but it forms the kind of person who can make wise and faithful decisions.
If the road ahead seems uncertain, begin with what is already clear. Return to the Lord. Open His Word. Obey the truth you understand. Seek wise counsel. Refuse to let fear make the decision for you. Then take the next faithful step, trusting that the God whose coming is as certain as the morning will meet you on the road.
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