The Love that heals

In Hosea a verse has spoken to my heart today:
Hosea 14:2 Take with you words, and turn to the Lord: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.

Here are some notes so I do not forget it's lesson-
The number 2 is for blessing, to bless the Lord is to multiply our praise.
We have 2 lips and our lips can do two things for blessing to occur.

1. bring our words of confession to God, -Take with you words and turn to the Lord,  say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously
2. offer the fruit of our lips in thankfulness for his mercy - so will we render the calves of our lips.

Once again the implication is that coming together yeilds newness to life.
To take in God's offer or forgiveness and mercy brings forth like something conceived, "the fruit of our lips."  Praise is "calved."

The focus is often on the sinner, but we forget that the greatest example is the one who has been sinned against, and Hosea is all about that. That requires an open ended love...unmerited love...forgiving love...unconditional love.

God who is betrayed continues to love, and lure us...

For one who is hurt by finding out someone is pursuing their love, the Lord shared this experience with Hosea so that he might write of the pain, and anger that the experience produces in the shunned.  The solution to reconciliation with God is in the verses of Hosea 14:2.

But if you are the one being hurt, the discussion for unconditional love is given from God's point of view, who has experienced that kind of hurt.

"...but me she forgot,”
declares the Lord.

¹⁴ “Therefore I am now going to allure her;
I will lead her into the wilderness
and speak tenderly to her. Hosea 2:13b- 14a

 

There I will give her back her vineyards,
and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.
There she will respond as in the days of her youth,
as in the day she came up out of Egypt. 15

 

Hosea 2:10 ... no one will take her out of my hands.

 

To Hosea, God gave this advice:

 

Hosea 3:1

[ Hosea’s Reconciliation With His Wife ] The Lord said to me, “Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an adulteress. Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes.”

 

 

We are given the foreshadowing of the act of Jesus to make this possible: Hosea 6

 1.Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. ² After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.

Jesus suffered to make the reconcilliation for us possible.
 

 14: 4 I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him(her)

 

Any man could read the verses above as if he were Hosea, but for a woman it might be easier to place herself there, if writen like this:

 

Change the genders, and a wife can benefit as well -

 for me it would read:

Go show your love to your husband again, though he is loved by another woman ... Love him as the Lord loves the Israelites...

 

and

but me he forgot....therefore I am now going to allure him...I will lead him to the wilderness and speak tenderly to him...

 

I will give him back his vineyards. I will make the Valley of Achor a door of HOPE,

he will respond as in the days of his youth. As in the day Israel came up out of Egypt.

 

No one will take him out of my hands.

 

Boy the devil's a tricky fellow - I was thinking I copied the above verse "therefore I am now going to allure her...to allure him.  When I proofread it back..it said, I am not going to allure him instead of now going to allure him.  Was this Satan, or simply my own mind blocking the thought of it? Either way, I commit this to the Lord for strength to alter my mindset to be willing to reconcile, and allure my mate when we let outside influences get in the way of our love. When it hurts to know other things mean more to them than we do.  When unconditional love is called for.

 

Forgive me Lord for failing my love, and you. I praise you Lord for reconciliation. Turn my anger and disappointment into an abiding love...oh miracle divine, I take on by an act of faith you unconditional love. In Jesus name, AMEN

 

 

 

 

 

Looking to My Future

Entering the World of Being Old

Well, I just filled out my request for Social Security. All the years I worked hard for the money so the government could take a part of it and "hold" it for the day I need to have it back with interest, so to speak, to I can help put food on the table and pay our bills. What did people do when there was no social security? I tried for a number of years to make other arrangements for my "future". And none of it panned out. So instead of feeling like I am getting my money back, I woke up this morning feeling like I owe the government something for the rest of my life.  I almost don't want to get the money.
But the author of my future is God, and I release my fears to him. These last years of my life will be an adventure in learning to trust him. He is my provider after all, not the government.  I want to get that straight in my head right now, before I start depending on those cks. My husband looks forward to his cks. I will dread them. He will have them spent before they arrive anyway. So I really need to have a "God resource." By that, I mean that I would become discouraged in a hurry if I didn't have God to depend on. It gives me courage to hope for a good future to know I am in his hands.
Lord, as the birds awaken, and begin to sing, I am reminded that you used them to show, how well provided for they are, and never need money. Is is possible that I have never tapped into the resources that are actually there for me? At the top of the page, I asked what did people do before Social Security? And only now does it occur to me, that they have lived for thousands of years without "government" help, and actually many generations of people were under a burden to pay taxes with no return.  Out of what? The money you helped them make. Out of resources you provided.  How upside down is our thinking to forget that the things make money from are your blessing on us in the first place. Once again, the garden is my inspiration. What I planted last year has returned and multiplied. It encouraged me to plant more perenials so that the work I do this year will be increased at your hand for next year.
As my mind wanders into wishing I had a sunny place to plant food, I think about the property next door, which when empty was burned out, so that people could steal the contents of metals. I think how I wonder if we owned it could we make a garden there. Would we have the strength and resources to reclaim it. Would it be possible to have a green house there, and maybe a studio. But after working all day digging holes for shrubs yesterday and aching so badly even this morning after a days rest that I can hardly move...I realized my age limits what I am physically able to do now. I can sit at a computer but it is bad for my health. I can try to plant food, but it won't be enough. So once again Lord, I am at your mercy...open my eyes. Give me wisdom to live in your bounty. Give me strength to keep hacking at the weeds. Give me direction so I don't wander. And Bless me Lord from your infinite ability to create from nothing amazing things. Supply all my needs. And I ask because you said I should. But also because, I look forward to praising you for your loving kindness to me.
Thank you Lord for all the lovely flowers this year. May they bloom throughout the season. And may they multiply. As I learn what is best in my yard for what certain things need to grow, help me be as diligent to look into my own life and seek what is best suited as an environment for me to grow and be healthy.  Where I need pruning, where in my life needs the weeds taken away,  what is growing that I once loved, but has overtaken the places that I need to open up for new plantings. What have I planted that was a mistake, what is too large for the space where I planted it? How may I better be in places where your light shines upon me? How may my life be an environment which enriches and supplies for others well being, as when the birds are able to make our space their home as well. How will what I do in other areas of my life enrich someone else's life?
You have given me a lot to think about Lord. I bless your name, praise you for your blessings on me. And am encouraged that in the little things I have done to honor you, I see growth in places I never expected it. Continue to enrich us by your hand, for Lord I am not complacent about how very much you are doing, I give you credit. You have opened for me a new door for exploring the greatness of your love.  Thank You for all that gives a longing soul to look forward to. In Jesus Name, AMEN.