You have made love for hire on every threshing floor. The threshing floor and the winepress shall not feed them, and the new wine shall fail in her. Hosea 9:2 

Have you ever been so desperate for a breakthrough that you did everything you could to bring it about yourself through whatever means you had to finagle? 

Israel was so hungry for blessing and prosperity that they practiced idolatry on the threshing floor, the place where they processed grain. They really believed it would help the harvest. Not only was it sinful, it was superstitious. God cursed it because He will not share His glory with anyone. 

What is it that eludes you today? More money? No amount of problem solving outside of prayer will bring the provision. Manipulating a distant relative will cause the money to burn in your hands. Extorting a raise from your boss will do the same. 

Need recognition? No heroic act originating from self-centeredness will bring the adulation that will fill your soul to overflowing. The praise you receive by setting others up to adore you will be short lived. Tomorrow, you’ll need to do it again to get the same thrill. 

The only One who satisfies us is Jesus. The only pathway to contentment is resting and trusting the Trustworthy One.  Simple trust abandons all forms of striving. 

New wine is available to us and it is of the overflowing variety.  No longer is love a reward for hard work. We can give up our daily propensity to earn it, believing we can make God happier with us.  We are already perfect in His eyes.  

We don’t even have to strive for a breakthrough.  We are kept by Love.  We rest in Perfect Love.  We are peaceful in the waiting.  And when the accuser comes to insinuate that our circumstances are due to our failures, we remind him of who we are in Christ.  We are hidden in His perfection. 

With every accusation from our enemy, You defend.  I wait for Your answers in the perfect peace of Your love. Amen