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.