If turkeys could talk?! This Thanksgiving was a cornucopia of turkey cartoons. Every day on FB was filled with new cartoons of turkeys pondering the meaning of the multiple dinner invitations they received or FB friend requests from farmers. Others had one turkey aware of the problem and seeking to divert attention to a clueless pen mate. Some brought a chuckle, but others made me laugh out loud. It was fun for everyone. Except for real turkeys who were “invited” to dinner.

Now don’t think I’m going vegan or even vegetarian here. Turkeys were made to be eaten, either by us or a wild animal, or by the earth itself. So I have no sentimental attachment to Ol’ Tom. No, this is about the not so funny reality of the many clueless people who don’t know who Thanksgiving is for – God. The Pilgrims who began the festival centuries ago knew, but many today do not. Of course this isn’t a new thing today. For millennia people who should know and thank God for His blessings didn’t. Know or thank Him, that is.

As noted in our previous Morning Minutes in the Bible on An American Missionary post Israel had turned away from Yahweh to worship idols, but didn’t understand why their life had become so short and pointless. God’s answer was simple, “there is no savior besides Me”, and they were looking for another (Hosea 13:1-4). In other words, they were clueless.

“I cared for you in the wilderness, in the land of drought. As they had their pasture, they became satisfied, and being satisfied, their heart became proud; therefore they forgot Me.” Hosea 13:5-6

He continued explaining how their clueless behavior was going to lead to them being consumed by Him.

“So I will be like a lion to them; like a leopard I will lie in wait by the wayside. I will encounter them like a bear robbed of her cubs, and I will tear open their chests; there I will also devour them like a lioness, as a wild beast would tear them.” Hosea 13:7-8

Finally Hosea notes their destruction is because of their rejection of God as their helper.

“It is your destruction, O Israel, that you are against Me, against your help.” Hosea 13:9

If we’re living fat, dumb, and happy rejoicing in our prosperity as if we deserved it because we’re so great then we’re as clueless as a pen raised turkey. And we will end up some place worse than any dinner table. If turkeys could talk they would warn us – sort of like Hosea has been doing.