Day Thirty...A New Perspective

Ok, so reading Hosea 2 is quite interesting. It talks about a woman who has been unfaithful in her marriage. She’s been whoring herself out, wanting fine men and meat...the good life. The husband (God) says in verse 6,

I’ll dump her in a field of thistles, then lose her in a dead-end alley. She’ll go on the hunt for her lovers but not bring down a single one. She’ll look high and low but won’t find one."

This is EXACTLY WHAT I’VE BEEN FEELING LIKE! It’s like God is playing games with me...bumping me into these walls, taking me down dead-end alleys. Argh! It’s been so frustrating.

But God goes on to say,

Then she’ll say, "I’m going back to my husband, the one I started out with. That was a better life by far than this one."

She didn’t know that it was I all along who wined and dined and adorned her. That I was the one who dressed her up in the big-city fashions and jewelry that she wasted on wild Baal-orgies.

He goes on to chasten the woman on her behavior, putting faith in all the "look what I did" and the things she’s had her hand in making.

But even after the chastening, God is gracious and merciful.

"And now, here’s what I’m going to do: I’m going to start all over again. I’m taking her back out into the wilderness where we had our first date, and I’ll court her. I’ll give her a bouquet of roses. I’ll turn Heartbreak Valley into Acres of Hope. She’ll respond like she did as a young girl, those days when she was fresh out of Egypt.

"At that time" - this is God’s message still - "you’ll address me, ‘Dear Husband!’ Never again will you address me, ‘My slave-master!’ I’ll wash your mouth out with soap, get rid of all the dirty false-god names, not so much as a whisper of those names again.

At the same time, I’ll make a peace treaty between you and wild animals and birds and reptiles, and get rid of all weapons of war. Think of it! Safe from beasts and bullies! And then I’ll marry you for good --forever! I’ll marry you true and proper, in love and tenderness. Yes, I’ll marry you and neither leave you nor let you go. You'll know me, God, for who I really am."

I can’t believe how God is answering my cry for help. I’ve been so frustrated, just like the woman at the beginning of this passage, bumping into walls, trying to get to where I want to go...but all along, God has been putting up those road blocks, those barriers, so it would drive me back home to my husband...where I belong...so I can truly know Him. Thank you God for showing this to me.

Thanks for using Becca to point me towards this passage. I love you more today than I did yesterday. I can’t wait to get to know you more!

~ JW

I am God's favorite!