Hosea 3:1 “The Lord said to me again, ‘Go, love a woman who has a lover and is an adulteress, just as the Lord loves the people of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes.’”

The more I thought about this the more I struggled with it.  Could I do what Hosea does to show the love of God?  Could I go downtown, pick a male prostitute up and bring him home to be my husband?  What feelings of repulsion and anger, frustration and sorrow would fill my days?  What beauty and love would I find in the midst of all that other negativity if I allowed myself to see that person as a child of God?  God tells Hosea he loves the people even though they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes.  That statement seems absurd to me but then again... When we lavish other gods with worship and love is that different than lavishing our love on something as silly as a donut or a tart?  None of those gods will supply our needs or love us back in any way.  As God calls Hosea into relationship with a broken woman, He calls his broken people into relationship with him.  He takes us as we are and loves us into a new person, redeemed and restored through his steadfast love.  He calls us to be his love to other broken people so they, too may learn of his love.

Lord,

Help me look past the repulsive behaviors and see that all people are loved by you.  I lift those lost souls up to you this morning knowing that I was lost and now am found.  I pray they will come and be found through your love.  Amen.

Hosea 2:14 “Therefore, I will now allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her.”

Ah, the wilderness.  When I was a child I was a little afraid of the wilderness and still, I would not want to get lost out in the middle of nowhere, but the wilderness can be a place of healing and renewal.  It can be a place of retreat and realignment.  I can still picture sitting in a canyon in New Mexico praying and following a ritual of release.  I went on a personal retreat years ago, a step in my faith journey I haven’t thought about in so long.  This verse in Hosea brings thoughts of love and peace to my heart.  Stepping away from the madness of the world with my deepest love for a time of one-on-one devotion, what could be better?  The reality is that scheduling that time is difficult at best.  Life gets in the way, kids need school, spouse has work, bills need to be paid, and obligations need to be met.  Knowing that I cannot step into the wilderness with the Lord for a length of time, I cherish the morning moments I have with Him.  It is a small oasis in the clutter of life.  I encourage you to go into the wilderness, feel His allure and follow Him.  He leads you out so you can hear His words of tenderness.

Lord,

What a blessing your love is.  No matter what we have done, no matter who we are, you love us.  Create opportunity in our lives to step into the wilderness with you.  Open our ears to hear your alluring call and move us to follow.  I pray each of us would be blessed through time alone with you.  Amen.

Hosea 2:6 “Therefore I will hedge up her way with thorns; and I will build a wall against her, so that she cannot find her paths.”

Back in the day, when I was a rebel without a cause (if you will) I would have balked at this verse.  My inclination would have been to say “you can’t make me” or something like that.  My kids don’t really like it when they receive stricter boundaries because of an infraction they committed; really who of us does?  We like to be free to go where we want, when we want and most of the time we do.  This verse is not a picture of prison or a cage to keep us contained, as I see it.  I picture hedges of green that are a boundary of beauty.  They designate boundaries of property or walls to keep unwanted things from entering into our space.  The thorns are reminders to us when we get too close to the edge that we are in for a bit of pain if we decide to go out that way.  I choose to look at these hedges from God and a protection of love.  He places them there to keep us from harm of others and harm from ourselves.  If we follow His path, there we will find no thorns at all.

Lord,

You know the scratches and pokes we have received as we try to push our way out through the hedges.  Hold us safely in your arms and as we soak in your love, open our eyes to see the path that you have created just for us.  Keep us from harm and guide us to help and not harm others.  I ask these things in the name of Christ, the risen Lord of all.  Amen.

Hosea 1:9-10 “Then the Lord said, ‘Name him Lo-ammi, for you are not my people and I am not your God.’  Yet the number of the people of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which can be neither measured nor numbered; and in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ it shall be said to them, ‘Children of the living God.’”

There are moments and days that I would shake my hands clean of my kids too.  They get wrapped up in their own games and it doesn't take long for things to get out of hand.  They can play well but it grows out of control quickly and then they stop listening and inevitably someone or both get hurt.  God is watching his children and trying to get their attention but they are too wrapped up in their own games and are not interested in His ways.  Are we still doing this today?  Do we truly follow Him as we are called to or are we distracted with our games and toys, our idols and gods; are we losing control?  Even as He tells Hosea He is turning his back on them he gives him hope that it is not forever.  Even as he tells Hosea “you are not my people” He also says they will be called “Children of the living God.”  I as start a new day with hugs and love for my kids I remember God’s grace to his children and pray to be filled with grace as well.

Lord,

Thank you for grace in the midst of correction.  Whatever we are doing, let your grace complete us so that we may do it for you.  Call us back away from our idols and into your loving arms so that we know again we are your children.  Amen. 

1 Thessalonians 5:18 “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

This verse has been rattling around in my head for a few days now so I feel I must share it again.  I have many people that I pray for every day and if I look at my prayer journal filling up it could be harder to be thankful.  Here are some of the prayers I have and how I try to be thankful under their circumstances:  Several people have gone through treatment of cancer, I am thankful they have survived and are thriving again.  One person is incarcerated, I am thankful he is in the United States where the prisons system takes such good care of its inmates comparing to almost anywhere else in the world.  People are suffering medical issues of various types, I am thankful we have stellar medical technology at our fingertips.  I pray for many who mourn the loss of loved ones and I am thankful that they have friends and family to support and uphold them on the hard and sad days.  The youth in our church have started writing gratitude journals and I hope that through this process they will learn at some level to give thanks in all circumstances.  As we all know, sometimes it is much easier said than done. 

Lord,

We come to you with our hearts laid open.  You know the heartaches, the concerns, the burdens we bring.  You know the joys and the celebrations we carry as well.  Help us see through your eyes so no matter what we are going through we are able to give thanks to you through Christ.  Amen.

Hosea 1:2 “When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, ‘Go, take for yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the Lord.’”

I was just talking to my daughter about leading by example the other day.  She was doing something at the lunch table that I didn't appreciate much and of course my son and his friend followed her immediately.  It was a small thing but I wanted her to understand that she is looked up to and teaches things to her brother even when she is not trying to.  I have always shied away from this story in Hosea.  It is hard to wrap my mind around such an extreme example.  Hosea is told to live out the life that Israel has been living to show them how badly they have fallen away.  As I read this I was thankful that I have not heard any such message from the Lord.  Hosea marries a prostitute to show that God has married Israel, who also prostitutes herself to other gods.   He has children with his prostitute wife to show how Israel has had children prostituting with other gods.  I never noticed the little word at the beginning of this verse “through.”

Lord,

Let the message of Hosea from long ago speak loud and clear to us today.  Let the audacity of his story show us how we need to change.  Guide our steps to lead by example in the way you would have us do.  Thank you for your steadfast love and forgiveness for all your children.  Amen.

Psalm 133:1 “How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity!”

Last Sunday I was driving home from a potluck lunch at a friend’s house.  My kids were with me and we had to come home so they could get ready to go to their Christian kids club.  I was thinking about the day.  We started it out by going to Sunday school and then church.  Right after church we headed to our friend’s home for lunch and spent the afternoon eating and visiting with Christian friends.  After that, my kids were going to learn bible verses and play with more Christian friends.  The whole day was filled with kindred spirits enjoying each other’s company.  I never thought I’d be one of those people who is steeped so deeply in religion that it takes over everything.  I used to go to church on Sunday and then the rest of the week was mine.  As I grow older (and hopefully wiser) I see the days are blended together and nothing is separate.  Our hearts belong to the Lord every day and spending those days in unity with kindred is, indeed, a good and pleasant thing.  I encourage you to join in and be a part of it, you will be blessed by it!

Lord,

Thank you for friends and family who encourage, challenge and love us so deeply.  Sometimes they are a window to you and your love.  Help us not take these moments for granted but instead open our hearts to receive fully the blessings that come with living in unity and in love.  Guide us to find unity within ourselves and within our families through you.  Amen.