Category: Daily Devotionals

DIFFERENT KIND OF MARRIAGE

I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion. Hosea 2: 19

            Betrothal to the God of Israel can seem frightening but it is nothing to fear.  On earth, many experience marriages characterized by unrighteousness, injustice; one void of love and compassion.  Marriage seems more like entrapment, a death sentence to the heart, and less like a beautiful representation of a union with God.

            How does a woman open her soul to a man when sinfulness rules his heart and unfairness is the daily, expected outcome?  Continue reading “Different Kind of Marriage” →

THE CROSS AND SACRIFICE

I will remove the names of the Baals from her lips.  Hosea 2: 17

            The cross symbolizes sacrifice.  God sacrificed His Son.  Jesus sacrificed His life.  And if I decide to follow Jesus Christ, I must come by way of the cross and sacrifice my rights to myself, including the right to worship anything or anyone but Jesus.

God asks me to remove the names of other gods from my lips.  As long as I speak their names with awe, bonding with God is impossible.  Continue reading “The Cross & Sacrifice” →

NAME CHANGE

“In that day,” declares the LORD, “you will call me `my husband’; you will no longer call me `my master.’  Hosea 2: 16

            The only thing that used to unsettle me more than thinking of myself as a slave in God’s household was discovering that He designed me to be intimate with Him as a bride.  I feared God’s intentions because slavery had become very comfortable.  I had grown accustomed to the pace of working tirelessly, of training myself to perform grueling tasks without complaint.  I was so used to pain that I hardly noticed its presence.  I was out of touch with the needs of my body and spirit.  Continue reading “Name Change” →

A SONG REBORN

There she will sing as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of Egypt.  Hosea 2: 15

            When was the last time you sang a song of joy?  For some of us, it was a song we composed as a child.  Can you remember what it felt like to skip down the road?  “That child lives no more,” you say.

Adult life can remove us from those carefree days of childhood.  Continue reading “A Song Reborn” →

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” →