Hosea 7:14-16. God says he will chasten Ephraim because "they do not cry to me from the heart." They wail, yes, and gash themselves for food and wine, but they do not recognize their God. He trained and strengthened them, but they do evil against him and turn instead to Baal and to Egypt for help. Because of their insolence their princes shall fall by the sword.

This hits home for me - I think one of my biggest past mistakes was not crying to God from my heart. I would pray for things, good things, like my family, when I was worried about them or about providing for them, but I wasn't doing it with the complete faith and trust that I have now. It wasn't from the heart. In fact, I was treating those other things, like my family, as the primary goal and then asking God to help me keep it just the way I wanted it. Thus, my family (and other things) became a Baal to me - God was not first in my life or in my heart, he was just what I would turn to to ask for help in keeping my true "god" healthy. God is the one who gave me these things, and trained and strengthened me to tend to them, but I then let them get to first place in my heart. This is wrong and causes a lot of suffering.

God has to be first in my heart, then, when I turn to him, it will be with trust and surrender. My loving Father knows what is best for me. I don't have to wail for bread, pr for my family, he will take care of me and them if I only just trust him. When I love God with all my heart, everything else falls into place in the way that he intends - and that is always the way that is best.