Hosea 2

I have a new favorite chapter of the Bible. Hosea 2. I know its an obscure favorite, but seriously. It is remarkable. A perfect illustration of our sinfulness, God's jealousy for our hearts and His redemptive power to rebuild what we break. Truly remarkable. Hope filled. Humbling too. I urge you to read it.

Some favorite parts?

Verses 14-15: Therefore, I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her. There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor [trouble] a door of hope. There she will sing as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came out of Egypt.

Verses 19-20: I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion. I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the Lord.

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This chapter simply strikes a chord within me unlike any other. You see, the world has allured her. And she has prostituted herself to everyone and everything. And He is a jealous God who wants her heart - the heart He created for His glory.

And so she is stripped naked. Her path blocked. Unable to catch desire. She is exposed. Her celebrations put to an end.

And that is when He allures her... gently leads her to the desert.

There she confronts Hurt. The barren, rolling hills emanate emptiness and despair. Why here? There are no distractions. Nothing to run to. No way to hide. Her heart is laid bare and her mind peeled open to Truth and Understanding.

It is here that He speaks. Every so tenderly. Piercing her heart with Truth.

"You've come. I've been waiting."

And then emotion comes. A cry for help within her withered and broken soul pleads for deliverance from the heavy chains. No more hiding. No more running. The dam breaks free and washes everything away.

And then the rebuilding begins. Troubled lies are brought forth and the door of hope gives way to freedom.

And then she feels it happening. Her rusting heartstrings are replaced and re-laced with ones of fine gold. And she can't hold back. A song of joy and redemption is released from within her soul and she is free!

The names of the past fade from her lips. A new covenant is made. A betrothal for eternity... in righteousness, justice, love and compassion.

Adultery gives way to faithfulness as LOVE is acknowledged. And LOVE responds. A booming voice over all creation.

"I planted you here for myself. I will show you my love for you are mine and I will fight for you."

And out of the desert she comes. And she responds, "Yes, I am yours and You are my God."

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Incredible! He is so jealous for her heart and purposefully stripes her of everything... and instead of condemning and judging... he leads her to the desert and speaks tenderly to her!

Do you get it? God is jealous for our hearts. He wants us for His own. In our days of trouble, He will lead us to the desert where we may feel lost, confused, tormented by who we have become and the choices we've made in the past. But it is from the desert that He provides a door of hope and redemption. It is from the desert that He speaks tenderly to us; where He waits for our hearts to respond.

Will we open our hearts to Him? Will we respond to His grace and love? Or will we remain in the desert? Will we become comfortable and take up residence there? Will we ignore the slavery that constricts our hearts? Perhaps our slavery is indistinguishable... perhaps it has become the norm in our lives. Perhaps we question whether we are slaves at all. But if we become comfortable in the desert we will only keep ourselves from being rebuilt and molded into who we were originally created to be. We will instead be lost forever. Never finding our way. Chasing after things we will never catch.

And so the question remains... will we listen to His tender voice? Will we be released from the bondage that so easily consumes? Or will we remain lost forever?

A Little Bit of Truth

I am feeling compelled this morning to simply write for anyone who is questioning this truth... God is real.

He is real and present and working... in my life and in your life. He just is. It is as simple as that. Even if He is presently unbeknown to you, He is still with you. Still loving you. Still pursuing after you. He just is. Simply pure pursuit.

And I hope that His disciples would listen to His direction today... are we to say something to a friend? Are we to do something for another? How does He want to work through each of us today to make Himself known?

For even a simple sentence or a quick prayer can make all the difference in someone's life... in my life. It has the power to reveal God's truth. His faithfulness and divine love. And His plan and purpose in another's life. 

The amazing thing about Jesus is that His love doesn't just save us from our sins... but it transforms, changes, inspires and encourages us to be who we were created to be. It enrolls us to see the possibility of something new in our lives and motivates us to run after the vision Jesus has for each of us personally and uniquely. 

Do you see His vision for your life? Is it REAL for you? If it isn't real yet, it can be. Be encouraged! God does not misplace His hope and love for us when we refuse to see - or can't see - what He sees in us. Instead, His faithfulness, glory and power is shown more clearly and severely than ever before. And He will continue to gently whisper His encouragement that things can change. And things do change. And as they change, He is with us every step of the way - leading us and reminding us that we are different than we were yesterday. And that things will be different tomorrow. Transformation is happening in our hearts and in our lives... and this year will be different and is different than before. 

Can you see it?