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

The Valley of Achor was known as ‘trouble valley’ because it was the place where Achan and his family were put to death.  Achan had stolen some gold, silver, and a beautiful Babylonian robe from the spoils of Jericho and kept them for himself. All of this was in direct violation of God’s orders ~ all spoils were to be gathered, sanctified, and set aside for use in the Lord’s treasury.  Achan’s family was also killed because they were privy to the crime.   Everything was hidden right under their noses, in their own family tent.  

The Valley Achor was the mountain pass one had to travel to reach the promised land.  While it should have been a passageway of hope, taking the Israelites to the land God promised them, it ended up being a place of pain and punishment instead.  Achan’s sin affected all the people, not just him.  Their next battle against the people of Ai was lost and Israelites were killed, all because there was concealed sin in Israel’s camp.

Sin committed privately is never isolated from affecting others.  A crooked employee affects the company and the potential prosperity of every worker. A wicked father corrupts the home and harms each member.  A evil dictator oppresses the people and sends them to the dark ages.  Sin infects.  

Though there is, presently, a godly remnant in America, the sins of our leaders and the anti-god culture have infected the whole.  God has made it clear how to see our land healed.  Through ‘identificational repentance’.  

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”  2 Chronicles 7:14

Collectively, and humbly, we repent by identifying with our nation.  “We repent. Forgive us our sins.”  Only then will our present Valley of Achor become a Door of Hope.  

Even the sin of Achan can teach me.  I humble myself to learn from history.  Amen 

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

Can God really mean what He says here?  A wilderness is not a place to plant a vineyard. Yet, God says that in this barren place, the land from which we yearn to escape, there is fruit to be harvested.

How long does it take for grapes to appear after planting seeds?  It can be as long as seven years.  While waiting, there is work to be done.  The vineyard must be tended, looking ahead to the time when the first grape will appear on the vine.  

Perhaps 2024 has been difficult.  So far, it has been your year in the wilderness. You don’t believe that any good can possibly come of your present circumstances.  But such is the mirage of the desert.  The work of the Spirit is being obscured by the pain.  Seeds are being planted but they are invisible.  They are being watered by your tears and fertilized by your faith.  Your husbandman, Jesus, is walking the landscape and sees the final harvest.  He who began this good work will complete it.  

There are years of my life I would absolutely hate to repeat. One of them was 2019.  Yesterday was Father’s Day.  On this day, in 2019, our son took his life with his service revolver.  We were awakened at 3:00 a.m. by a knock at the door.  Two men delivered the news.  I look back and wonder how we survived it.  Yet, it is five years later and I see the vineyard!   I could write a book about the wilderness and the temptations to despair without hope.  But I could write more about the power of scripture and the companionship of Jesus.  

Be  encouraged!  Jesus is the Lord of the desert.  He knows it well from the time He spent there. Once hungry, thirsty, and vulnerable, He learned to live by faith and the food of the scriptures.  He modeled that the wilderness is not a wasteland.  Springs of Living Water can be found there.  They will emerge from the deep to nourish tender seedlings.  

Jesus, You are here with us. You are Bread, Living Water, Comforter, and You are the Gardener.  Feed us.  Quench our thirst.  Hold us.  And, tend the seeds of our faith.  Amen 

“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 puts most anyone on edge. It’s made for insects and reptiles, not human beings. If you’re going to hike there, better have appropriate footwear, sun protection, plenty of food and water, and a well thought out first aid kit. The heat can be brutal; shade trees nearly non-existent. 

Spiritual deserts can be just as treacherous. Though I think I’ll do okay with a period of isolation, it will still take me by force.  It won’t take long to feel the challenges.  Nothing will be as easy as I think it’s going to be.  At times, it will seem like God has retreated and I am on my own.

Having survived a few deserts in my lifetime, I will tell you how life changing they were. My testimony of time in the wilderness is not unique. God gave similar experiences to other men and women of faith. 

    *Moses was sent to the backside of the wilderness so that God could shape him into one of the greatest leaders in history. 

    *Esther must have felt she’d been sent into the dark abyss of enemy territory before she discovered that her desert was the doorway to her people’s spiritual destiny. 

   *David learned that the art of shepherding in the barren hills of Judea was the perfect training for shepherding a nation.  

    *And Jesus, before he ever entered public ministry, was led into the desert by His Father for forty days. There, He learned obedience and how to endure assaults from the kingdom of darkness.

Deserts appear as places of punishment but I would be wrong to just assume that. I consider today’s scripture.  God says He allures His child to the desert.  Away from the noise of busy life, He will speak tenderly to her and groom her for what is ahead.  Only as I ask God for a complete change in mindset will I be able to see that what is so distasteful is really the doorway to the most stunning God encounter I’ll ever experience. 

I’m listening. I’m open.  I’ll stop fighting for change and look for the beauty of Your face. Amen 

She has not acknowledged that I was the one who gave her the grain, the new wine and oil, who lavished on her the silver and gold— which they used for Baal. Hosea 2:8 

Once upon a time, a man became a father. He held his newborn daughter close and breathed in the wonder of her. When she turned two, he threw her into the air and exclaimed in delight. Was any child more perfect? At night, while his child of promise slept, he dreamt of the all the things he could give her that would make her happy.  His list was long. 

For many years, their love flourished. As she grew older and opened each gift he gave, she hugged him tightly in gratitude. Her heart was stirred that she could be fortunate enough to have such a father when so many lived like orphans. 

At some point in time, things blurred. The girl was now a woman. Receiving gifts was commonplace. She grew bored with her father though his passion for her had not changed. She grew indifferent toward him though every beat of his heart continued to whisper her name. She was not moved in the least that, even now, he stayed awake at night, watching her as she slept, dreaming of yet more gifts to give her. 

• The father built his daughter a beautiful castle. She walked in the front door, was dazzled by its glitter. She dreamt of all the ways she could decorate it, sell it, and buy a bigger one. 
• One day when she awoke, sparkling jewels glistened on her fingers. She was enamored with the size of them, the value of them, and went out straightway to get them appraised. She kissed the rings; a symbol of wealth, not affection. 
• He filled her life with friends who loved her. When she discovered that they also desired to give her gifts, she was intoxicated with the possibilities. She invited them to live with her in her castle. They indulged her in return. What a perfect arrangement.

It was a sad day when the woman asked her father to move out. She had everything she wanted. She no longer needed him. The father lived nearby and watched her from a distance. He would wait for her. He would never give up hope that her heart would move toward him again. 

When men have gone so far as to talk as though their idols have come to life, it is time that someone broke them.    William Shakespeare 

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

I’ve experienced a lot of performance trauma.  It started in my teens.  It was exacerbated by my inability to say no to powerful people who exerted pressure on a 13 year old.  I had no training for taking care of myself as I grew up in a home where both parents lived to avoid conflict.  Hearing them say no was rare so I followed their lead; I did anything that was asked of me. 

I was born with a natural ear for music. If I heard a song, I could sit down and play it as early as three years old. While this was enjoyable, it also set me up to perform in situations that came with a pressure that was too intense for one so young. If I communicated my fears, they were usually dismissed. “We know you can do it, Christine!” 

In my early teens, I started traveling with a well known ministry.   I played for crusades and city-wide Gospel events. The evangelists’ belief level in me may have been misplaced, often having more to do with them getting what they wanted from me and less to do with their confidence in my ability.  My repetitive self-talk before going on stage was this ~ “I have to do this but I can’t. But I have to. But I can’t.” Then, I’d hear my name being announced and sheer grit would take over. 

In my thirties, I assessed the damage. My body quit on me.  I had a nervous breakdown.  I felt God had abandoned me. “Where were you all these years?  I always did what others wanted but I did it alone.”  I entered counseling.  During a prayer time, I discerned God’s answer to my question.  “You didn’t do it by yourself.  I helped you do it every single time.” I was humbled to realize that He really had come through for me.

When life requires difficult things of us and we have to, with great tenacity, put one foot in front of the other, we mistakenly think we’re doing it single-handedly. But our thought processes, which enable us to devise a plan, are God-breathed. Physical endurance is made available to us, outside of ourselves. God is faithful to preserve our mind and our spirit.  May our accusations pause.  Let’s be open and humbled to hear God’s whispers of truth.

I was angry with You for abandoning me until I heard You speak to me.  Thank you! Amen 

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

Magical thinking.  Children have it.  Adults should have outgrown it and exchanged it for wisdom but each of us will fight magical thinking in areas specific to our story.  For instance, some of us really believe that once a person understands that what they are doing is causing us harm us, they’ll wake up, feel badly, and make a course correction.  If only this were true!   And this is just one example.

How many times have I justified something in my life by saying, “Maybe this is wrong but….” What followed was the list of personal benefits.  Sin paid off, or so I thought.  What I gained by giving into it far outweighed what I would have had to sacrifice to make a change. And oftentimes, change was too frightening but that was only because I didn’t know the power of the Word and the Spirit working together in my heart. 

God speaks to Hosea and tells Him that Israel justifies her harlotry because of what she receives from her lovers. She benefits by her flirtations. Other gods cause her to prosper. Other gods make her feel good about herself.  Other gods bring about an adrenaline rush. Let’s face it ~ consciences can be skewed when the soul is in a place of delight. 

God will have to make sure that Israel’s way is thwarted, that her pleasures are short- lived. If it means marking her pathway with sharp stones, so be it. His nature is not to punish but to restore. His nature is not to withhold, but to bless. His nature is not to ruin a good time, but to overwhelm His children with pleasures this world can not duplicate. 

These realities are not as easy to put our hands on as the temporal, that is true. They only come by way of pursuing God relentlessly.  But we are never sorry that we rejected the counterfeit and waited for the real thing.   We were meant to live in awe and wonder.

I will face decisions today that offer an instant payoff. Let me take the high road to the North, the one that leads to Your mountaintop. In Jesus’ name, Amen 

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

Depression has many faces ~ Sleep eludes you. Food tastes bland. Enjoyment of beautiful things is absent.  Agitation is a constant companion.  The plot of an otherwise great movie isn’t mildly interesting. You are suspended in a pit of nothingness. 

This also describes the child of God who has looked to other things to fill his soul only to discover that each failed to deliver what it promised. Like any addiction, what amount used to satisfy, no longer does. It takes ‘bigger and better’ to make a dent. 

Is God directly involved in these worthless pursuits?  The story of Hosea shows the level of his involvement.  He is a Father who blocks our path and causes us to travel in circles.  He is the Author of such aggravation. He is not a kill-joy; He is the source of all joy.  He hopes we’ll throw up our hands and cease our wanderings. He holds His breath, hoping we’ll take the road back home. 

With God, appetites are satisfied. Thrills are experienced. Joy is inexpressible. Wonder is  inexhaustible.  Truth is energizing. An person who ran from God but finally realized his folly and returned home wonders why he waited so long. Why didn’t he just believe God years ago and save himself such a tortuous path? That is always the question and there is always regret.

The stories of so many who learned these lessons the hard way lived before us.  Their voices are compelling.  They shout out to us today, ‘Make the course change now. Any other quest for meaning will only lead to a dead end street.’

My soul will lead me away from You, but I thank You for frustrating me on my journey to nowhere. I now live in You and I am well. Amen 

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, grew discontent, and then went off to find other lovers. God reveals that her story will be my story ~ when I grow bored, turn away,  and pursue other love interests.  My discontent tricks me into believing that a detour, a distraction, is what I really need.  I can name all the ways I think I’ll benefit but ‘shalom’ never materializes to the point of soul-filling. Disillusionment greets me at the end. 

God actually planned it that way!  He’s not cruel.  He’s jealous.  But with only fallen humanity as a backdrop to understand the meaning of jealousy, I can be tripped up thinking of God as the One who is jealous.  But doesn’t it have to be a holy thing when He feels it?   He is holy.  He designed me in a way where He can be the only One who fills that aching void in my soul. He is the sole primary source for connection and romance. 

God’s greatest desire is that I will pursue Him, commune with Him, and discover the pleasure for which I was created.  With that in mind, what more loving thing could He do than thwart my spiritual affairs? Because He gave me free choice, He won’t stop me from wandering, but He will make sure that I come up empty when I turn to fickle sources.  He hopes that my empty heart will drive me back to perfect Love. 

Where are you looking for soul satisfaction today?  When you repeatedly extend your heart to find love and connection and come up empty, it’s a sure sign that what you seek will not be found there. Your heart was made to rest near to the heart of God. 

I’ve taken some long, hard journeys away from You.  But I’m so glad I came home. Amen 

They have gone deep into depravity. They do not direct their deeds toward turning to their God. Hosea 2:2,4 

The real tragedy is not that people sin, it’s what happens after they do.  Sin should prick our consciences and cause us to fall into repentance. Conviction should direct us toward God, not away from Him. 

One of the foundational pillars of our Christian doctrine is that we are sinners and Christ died to pay for our sins. After we come to Christ, we often forget that we are still sinners, saved by grace.  Instead, we succumb to the pressure to appear perfect.  Sins of the heart abound but they stay hidden in communities where everyone wears a mask.  There is verbal assent that Christ came to save sinners few want to admit that they are one anymore. 

There are at least two roadsigns on the way to pretension. 

. . when I excuse my behavior and deny the act. I whitewash it by making horizontal comparisons with other people. When I see my neighbor as much worse off than myself, I am already in trouble.

. . when I minimize my shortcomings so that others will think more highly of me.  I’ll accuse the person I wronged of over-exaggerating my sin.  It is my injured pride that causes me to re-shape my sin into a more manageable package. 

Any thought that is not something Jesus would have thought, or any act that Jesus would not have engaged in, is sin. Even the smallest of offenses would have been enough to condemn me to an eternity separated from God.  There is no such thing as an insignificant sin.

I want to live cross-centered, pursuing the mind of Christ, so that I won’t be self-impressed nor self-protective. 

Show me who I am, with and without Your grace.  In Jesus’ name, Amen 

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 and the extent to which He will go to reach His children when they are far from Him. Throughout this prophetic book, God delivers some difficult words to the people He loves, and, unfortunately, they are well deserved. Their betrayal has been profound, and their disobedience heartbreaking.  His messages will be proclaimed with sobering clarity but the people 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 conversation 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 surely a foundation for the future. 

This reminds of me a scene between Peter and Jesus in the upper room, the night Jesus would be arrested. Peter tells Jesus, in a sincere flash of passion, that he is ready to die for Him. Jesus replies, “Not only aren’t you ready to give your life for Me, but before morning comes, you will deny that you know Me three times.” At this, Peter’s heart is full of anguish. It’s what Jesus says next that is so far from the confines of human limits. “Don’t be worried and upset.  Believe in God.  Believe also in me.” There is mercy before the sin; mercy that bridges the present and the future. 

You and I have a Savior who tells us that though we will fail Him today, we should not be consumed with hopelessness. This is not to say that we shouldn’t take our sin seriously, but only that He stands ready to forgive and extend mercy when we repent. Peter’s restoration with Jesus after the resurrection provides a picture of one who obtained unfathomable mercy. They ate a meal together, exchanged heartfelt words about ‘feeding the sheep’, and Peter went on to become the founding father of the New Testament church. The unspoken posture of his writings is, consistently, ‘one who has obtained mercy.’ 

For every way I have failed You, there is redemption. I fall on my knees in gratitude. Amen