Faulty Bows

“I long to redeem them...They gather together for grain and new wine...They do not turn to the Most High; they are like a faulty bow” Hosea 7:13b-16.

I can’t help but to notice that our passage talks about God’s people gathering together for grain and new wine. But the intent is not to commend them for this, but to convict them for their misguided efforts. What is their faulty bow? It is using their own wisdom and their own agenda to aim towards a desire. God desires to redeem them, and give them the answers they need. But they handle things in their own way, coming up with their own ideas before giving God the time to speak to them. They ready ...aim...release and the bow is wobbly at best, detouring into a target that harms instead of helps. Why? Because they did not turn to the Most High and wait on Him to reveal His way, His will and His purpose.

How many times do we take the bow into our own hands with good intent and aim and release only to skewer another heart? In what ways do we gather our thoughts, and develop a plan to escape a predicament we are in before turning to God for the answers? I read the most beautiful explanation of being a bow in the hand of God. Jennifer Rothschild, author of Hosea – Unfailing Love Changes Everything writes “A faulty bow can’t shoot straight. Bent to go our own way, we land in places we don’t want to be – places of stress, shame and slavery to habits. God has a better way. God is the Archer – He chose us. We are in His hands. He has a best scenario for us. He knows what our hearts long for, and He knows how to get us there. God is the master Archer. You are the bow. Your gifts abilities, desires and calling are the arrows” p.128-129.

When we truly turn every decision over to God, trust in His timing and watch Him work in the situation we will hit the target every time. When we align God’s will to become our will no matter how long it takes we share the same desire...the same target...the same purpose. It’s easy to say we’ll pray about something but when we make decisions before hearing from God our bows are destined to miss. The results can hurt others, make our situations worse and delay God’s best for our lives.

May we all lay down our faulty bows, be the bows we were created to be, allowing the Archer to bend us so that our aim will be His perfect plan for us.

Who Cut In On You?

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery...The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love...You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth?” Galatians 5:1, 6-7.

I remember when my father-in-law lived with us his final year with Alzheimer’s. It was an impossible time as far as the emotional, mental and spiritual toil it took on me. I was reminded of this tough journey while at one of my best friend’s home the other day. For me, I would wake up early, spend time in deep prayer and study God’s word as my oxygen for the day. For two hours each morning I would arm myself for battle because the war waged against me wasn’t my father-in-law or his illness...it was war the enemy waged against me. I have never battled so hard against my emotions as I did during that time. The enemy tried cutting in on me at every turn telling me how selfish my thoughts were about my comfort. He ran me off the road a million times, and a million times the Lord would have to remind me of who I am in Him. Every day I would pick up the enemy’s mirror and once again take his yoke, the yoke of condemnation...the yoke of failure...the yoke of heaviness.

God’s love and reminder of who I am was the only thing that got me through that time. I had to have faith in His expression of love to me, and truly believe His truth. The truth that I can walk in freedom when my circumstances say otherwise. The truth that I am not who my emotions say I am. The truth that I am not defined by my flaws but made strong in His strength.

We cannot allow the enemy to take away conquered land and cut in on our spiritual property. We must stake our claim in the land where God has set us free. To reclaim previously conquered land is like losing the same 5 pounds over and over. One of Satan’s greatest weapons is to use our own brothers and sisters in Christ to cut in on our journey. The truth is as believers, we are all family in Christ and the only thing that counts is the love we are called to express through our faith. When we walk in the Spirit instead of the flesh our attitudes will display the fruit.

‘So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature...But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control’ Galatians 5:16, 22

Where Is This Fellow?

“When the people saw that Moses delayed in coming down from the mountain, they...said ‘Come, make us gods who will go before us...As for this fellow...we don’t know has happened to him”’ Exodus 32:1.

Miracle upon miracle was displayed when the Lord delivered the Israelites from Egypt, and established His chosen people. Their leader was legitimate and the people followed Moses right out of captivity into the freedom of God. They had a visible guide in a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. We should be so blessed to have that constant and visible guidance. But what did they do with that blessing? Their impatience and faulty wisdom allowed them to both consider and invite other gods into their camp after a month or so. They couldn’t even wait 40 days to get God’s message for them. It was not that they overtly denied God, but they chose to include other gods to cover all the bases. They decided that the safest thing to do was to embrace many idols while keeping God in their back pocket.

Don’t we do the same thing? We have asked God for something but we have not heard from Him. We are begging to be moved out of a situation but God keeps us where we are. We pray for contentment and yet we are discontent...unsatisfied...angry...just plain bored. Nothing changes and we get tired of waiting on God and experiencing His silence. ‘As for this Fellow...we don’t know where He is...’ And so, we become impatient and reach out in our wisdom and create other gods... the god of spending...the god of drinking...the god of money...the god of entitlement.

We are not prone to wait well without the settling of the Holy Spirit. When we do not meet God daily as a priority and die to our own will, we slowly begin embracing other gods into our lives. To protect ourselves from erecting false idols we must die daily to what we want, when we want it and how we go about getting it.

Our confidence is in the One whose death and resurrection saved and redeemed us...Jesus Christ. For everything He sacrificed, and for every way He suffered, can’t we give Him our patience and trust? Christ didn’t climb up on the cross to be our crisis manager, but gave up His life on earth to be our daily Bread. I believe that one of the sweetest gifts that we can give back to God is our confidence in all circumstances. When we wait well we say to God I trust you...I love you...Thy will not mine...you are my One and only God.

‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is heaven. Give us today our daily bread...And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one’ Matthew 6:9

Shamers and Stone Throwers

“The teachers of the law & Pharisees brought in a woman...They made her stand before the group...” John 8:3.

Last night I was texting with a friend when she began telling me about a Christian woman who called her, and began tearing her down about things that are closest to a woman’s heart. I was incensed that she would be attacked like that, and had to experience the rantings of a modern day Pharisee. If you don’t believe the Bible is relative you only need to read John 8:3-11 and look around at all of the pointing fingers today. Some days unfortunately we are at the end of someone else’s pointing finger like my friend. Either way we have no right to drag others into the middle of our accusations like the Pharisee’s used to do.

Using His own finger, Jesus responded to these finger pointers who sought to shame her...to discredit her...to expose her. ‘But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger’ John 8:6b. What did the message say? For whom was it intended? Did it encourage the woman with love and grace... ‘I do not condemn you...Go now and leave your life of sin’ John 8:11. Was His message directly to the accuser...‘Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself’ Roman 2:1. Or was it a message for us all that cuts straight to our heart...‘because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment’ James 2:13.

No one knows what the message was for it was intended for those particular people in that particular time. What we do know for sure is that the only way to know what His message is for us is to do like my friend did and take it to Jesus. He sees us for who we are and not for who others say we are. When we commit our hurts to Him we will exchange accusations for grace, and a Pharisee for a Savior. It is in those private times when we are loved the most.

‘...only Jesus was left, with the woman standing there’ John 8:9.

Delightful Inheritance

“‘I will go after my lovers, who gave me my food and my water, my wool and my linen, my oil and my drink’ Hosea 2:5. ‘She does not recognize that it is I who gave her the grain, the new wine, and the oil. I lavished silver and gold on her, which they used for Baal’” Hosea 2:8.

We don’t have to read far in our passage this morning to understand what was standing in the way of Gomer’s contentment, satisfaction and joy...her own self-focus. The very things she sought after were the very things she was already receiving from her husband. In that one short sentence she referred in some way to herself 9 times. How could she possibly see the truth of her blessings when she was focusing on what she lacked? We know she had these things but maybe she wanted more... instead of chicken she wanted steak...instead of her present wardrobe she wanted new clothes...instead of silver and gold that would last a year she wanted enough to last a lifetime. She had an ungrateful heart and a lack of discipline for setting boundaries.

Now before we go and judge her we must look at our own ‘me and my’ pursuits and weigh them against what God’s word states. When I say:

‘I am lonely’ - He says ‘I am continually with you’ (Psalm 73:23)

‘I am hungry’ – He says ‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.’ (Matthew 5:6)

‘I am worried’ – He says ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear...’ (Matthew 6:25)

‘I am through’ – He says ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Co 12:9)

We cannot focus on our ways, our wants and our wisdom or we will take detours off the path the Lord has laid before us. We must recognize the boundaries He has set around us and trust Him for the rest. We must guard our hearts and minds so that when we are in our ‘me and my thinking’ we replace it with ‘Thee and Thy thinking.’ I love the phrase that Jennifer Rothschild said in my Bible Study this morning. She said that where our heart gravitates our feet will navigate. There is only one Lover who we should pursue, and it is the Lover of our soul who has given us everything we need to be victorious over this life. It is up to us to fix our eyes on Him and set our boundaries upon His wisdom.

‘The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; I have a beautiful inheritance’ Psalm 16.6.

Family Snapshots

“But you have planted wickedness, you have reaped evil, you have eaten the fruit of deception” Hosea 12:13.

It is no secret that one of my children went through a really dark time when she was a teenager.  She wrestled internally with issues of the heart, leaving her vulnerable and preyed upon by Satan.  Satan didn’t miss this opportunity to taunt me with lies such as my failure as a parent.  He certainly strutted around in victory as I laid upon my bed in despair and heartbroken.  I remember that he was so triumphant in painting a picture of death for my sweet one.  He stoked the embers of my emotions and encouraged me to respond in abandonment ...resentment...anger.  One day when I couldn’t stand the feelings any longer I decided to put a picture of her on my refrigerator of when she was 5 years old.  Any time my heart felt hardened and I wanted to turn away I would see her tiny face smiling back at me, and I remembered a sweeter time...a time before she forgot who she really was...a time when she clearly knew she was our beloved daughter.  My compassion would once again be stirred....

We have a Father who has all of our pictures on His heavenly refrigerator.  Our sins arouse His anger... our waywardness and unfaithfulness break His heart.  He vows to pour out His wrath upon us when we walk in the earthly flesh instead of our spiritual destinies.  Then He sees us for who we are... the little ones He chose with whom to share His family.  ‘How can I give up on you...How can I hand you over...My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused, I will not carry out my fierce anger, nor will I turn and devastate...For I am God, and not man – the Holy One among you...When he roars, his children will come trembling’ Hosea 11:8-11.

Because of His great love we are welcome home.  In our most wicked state He remembers first and foremost that we are His.  He doesn’t forget that we are not defined by our sins, but sealed by His love.  We are called to extend the same love to those who have forsaken us...those who have wounded us.  We are never justified in our unforgiveness, and are called to receive everyone back in love.  It is not our job to determine who belongs and who doesn't - that's God's job. “The LORD said to me, ‘Go, show your love...again, though she is loved by another...Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn to others’ Hosea 3:1a.

When we have been hurt and forsaken by others maybe, just maybe we should try to picture them as one of God’s children who has gone astray like a little lamb.  We should see them as one who God is pursuing to bring back into the fold.  And then perhaps our compassion will be stirred and we can respond as the Lord did in Hosea to the Israelites.

‘I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love, I lifted the yoke from their neck and bent down to feed them’ Hosea 11:4.

Delightful Inheritance

“‘I will go after my lovers, who gave me my food and my water, my wool and my linen, my oil and my drink’ Hosea 2:5. ‘She does not recognize that it is I who gave her the grain, the new wine, and the oil. I lavished silver and gold on her, which they used for Baal’” Hosea 2:8.

We don’t have to read far in our passage this morning to understand what was standing in the way of Gomer’s contentment, satisfaction and joy...her own self-focus. The very things she sought after were the very things she was already receiving from her husband. In that one short sentence she referred in some way to herself 9 times. How could she possibly see the truth of her blessings when she was focusing on what she lacked? We know she had these things but maybe she wanted more... instead of chicken she wanted steak...instead of her present wardrobe she wanted new clothes...instead of silver and gold that would last a year she wanted enough to last a lifetime. She had an ungrateful heart and a lack of discipline for setting boundaries.

Now before we go and judge her we must look at our own ‘me and my’ pursuits and weigh them against what God’s word states. When I say:

‘I am lonely’ - He says ‘I am continually with you’ (Psalm 73:23)

‘I am hungry’ – He says ‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.’ (Matthew 5:6)

‘I am worried’ – He says ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear...’ (Matthew 6:25)

‘I am through’ – He says ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Co 12:9)

We cannot focus on our ways, our wants and our wisdom or we will take detours off the path the Lord has laid before us. We must recognize the boundaries He has set around us and trust Him for the rest. We must guard our hearts and minds so that when we are in our ‘me and my thinking’ we replace it with ‘Thee and Thy thinking.’ I love the phrase that Jennifer Rothschild said in my Bible Study this morning. She said that where our heart gravitates our feet will navigate. There is only one Lover who we should pursue, and it is the Lover of our soul who has given us everything we need to be victorious over this life. It is up to us to fix our eyes on Him and set our boundaries upon His wisdom.

‘The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; I have a beautiful inheritance’ Psalm 16.6.