Category: Daily Devotionals

FEELING GREAT DOESN’T MAKE IT RIGHT!

There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.  Hosea 2: 15

My will is a stubborn thing.  I am bent on rebellion without God’s grace.  I want to do my own thing – my own way  – and pursue my own interests.  Narcissism appeals.  Whatever gods I chase will initially make me feel great.  They promise instant gratification and they deliver.  Giving up rights to myself and submitting to God’s purposes is the hardest decision I’ll ever make.  What usually motivates it?  Pain. Continue reading “Feeling Great Doesn’t Make It Right!” →

FROM WHERE?

I will bring her into the wilderness and give her her vineyards from there.  Hosea 2:14-15

            A wilderness does not seem to be a suiting environment for a vineyard.  I often want to tweak the concepts from scripture so that they make more sense to me.  So, consider this paraphrase.  “God will deliver me from the wilderness and will give me a vineyard on new land.”  Doesn’t this sound more feasible? Continue reading “From Where?” →

DESERT: PLACE OF PUNISHMENT OR PROMISE

“Therefore I am now going to allure her;  I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her.”  Hosea 2: 14

The thought of spending time in a desert makes the most adventurous person a little wary.  It’s made for insects and reptiles, not human beings.  If you’re going to hike there, better have good boots, thick socks, and plenty of food and water.  The heat can be brutal, shade trees hard to find.

        Spiritual deserts feel just as treacherous.  Though we think we might have been prepared for the sense of isolation, it still takes us by brute force.  Continue reading “Place of Punishment Or Promise?” →

I DIDN’T DO IT ALONE

She has not acknowledged that I was the one who gave her the grain, the new wine and oil. Hosea 2: 8

I’ve survived some difficult things in my lifetime.  They often involved the expectations of others.  Because my natural musical talent was revealed at such a young age, I encountered adults who expected me to perform in situations where I felt ill-equipped.  If I communicated my fears, they were often dismissed.  “You can do it, Christine!”  Their supposed belief level had more to do with them getting what they wanted out of me and less to do with their confidence in my ability.  My mantra before going on stage was, “I have to do this but I can’t.  But I have to.  But I can’t.”  Then, the curtain would part and sheer grit would take over.

In my thirties, I assessed the damage.  Continue reading “I Didn’t Do It Alone!” →

FINDING REASONS TO SIN

She said, “I will go after my lovers, who give me my bread and my water, my wool and my linen.”  Hosea 2:5b

    It is easy to think idealistically about the sensitivity of others’ consciences. We really believe that once people understand that what they are doing is wrong, that they’re hurting somebody by their actions, they’ll stop and make a course correction.  If only the world were like that!

    Magical thinking ends when I look at my own track record.  How many times have I justified something in my life by saying, “Maybe this is wrong but….”  What followed was the list of benefits to me personally.  Continue reading “Finding Reasons To Sin” →

AN EXERCISE IN FUTILITY

Therefore, I will block her path with thorn bushes; I will wall her in so she can not find her way.  She will chase after her lovers but not catch them.  Hosea 2:56

            One of the symptoms of depression is the inability to enjoy anything.  Sleep eludes you.  Food tastes bland.  The plot of an otherwise great movie isn’t even mildly interesting.  You are suspended in that ‘pit of nothingness’ Isaiah describes.

            This experience surely describes the child of God who chases so long after other things to fill his soul that they are transformed into tasteless meals.  Like any addiction, what amount used to satisfy, no longer does.  It takes ‘bigger and better’ to make any positive impression.

            Is this just a commentary on the meaninglessness of human existence or is God involved here, blocking our path and causing us to travel in circles?  Continue reading “An Exercise in Futility” →

DESTINED FOR EMPTINESS

She said, `I will go after my lovers, who give me my food and my water, my wool and my linen, my oil and my drink.’  Therefore I will block her path with thorn bushes; I will wall her in so that she cannot find her way.  Hosea 2: 5,6

            Hosea married a prostitute.  She bore him two children, then grew discontent and went off to find other lovers.  God reveals that her story is parallel to mine, when I forsake Him as my lover and pursue other loves.  Though I’m usually faithful for a time, I can easily grow discontent living by faith and crave the instant gratification of what my eyes can see and my hands can touch.  I believe my detour is what I really need, that I will benefit and find the soul food I seek.  It never happens.  Disillusionment greets me at the end of the road.

            God planned it that way!  Is He cruel?  No.  Jealous?  Yes.  Continue reading “Destined For Emptiness” →

AFTER WE STUMBLE

They have gone deep into depravity.  They do not direct their deeds toward turning to their God.  Hosea 9:9 and 5:4

    The real tragedy is not that people sin, it’s what happens after the fact.  Sin is meant to prick our conscience and cause us to fall into repentance.  Our transgressions are to direct us toward God, not further away from Him.  To go deep into depravity is to commit sin upon sin, all without a trace of remorse.  Continue reading “After We Stumble” →

WHOM IS GOD ADDRESSING?

Say unto your brothers, “Ammi,” and to your sisters, “Ruhamah.”  Hosea 2:1

    Hosea is a beautiful story of God’s mercy.  It showcases the long arm of God, the extent to which He will go to reach His children when they are far from Him.  Throughout this prophetic book, God will deliver some difficult words to the people He loves and they are well deserved.  His message will be heard but the Jews aren’t in a place yet to take them to heart.  They are enjoying their sin too much.

In spite of this, God’s unchanging love for them is evident in the way He addresses them. “Ammi” means ‘my people’ and Ruhamah means ‘those who have obtained mercy’.   To make a fair comparison, let’s imagine a wife sitting down to have a difficult talk with an unfaithful husband.  She begins by addressing him as ‘my dear husband – who has already obtained mercy.’  Even if what follows is tough love, there is a foundation for the future.   Continue reading “Whom Is God Addressing?” →

AN ALL-IMPORTANT THREE LETTER WORD

Yet the number of the sons of Israel will be like the sand of the sea.  It will come to pass, in that place where it is said to them, “You are not My people,” it will be said, “You are the sons of the living God.”  Hosea 1:10

    The nation of Israel was under God’s displeasure.  They were walking in disobedience and God got creative in the methods He used for getting a message to His people.  He told Hosea to marry a prostitute.  Then, God named each of his three children.  All three names sent the Israelites a personal message.  1.) “I will crush your fighting strength because you have forsaken me.”  2.) “You will experience me as a God who has run out of mercy, so long as you fail to repent.”  3.) “Your rejection of me will cause others to say that I am not your God.”  Each one was a tragic word which should have grieved the hearts of His children but they continued to walk in perverted paths.

    In spite of this, God followed up these messages with another one that began with the word “yet”.  In that turn of a phrase, salvation and redemption flowed from the mouth of a heartbroken Father.   Continue reading “An All Important Three Letter Word” →