The Thorn and its Love

Recently, I started reading Hosea, the story of a lover wooing an unfaithful lover back. Hosea isn't just about the man and his wife, a former prostitute, but about the nation of Israel, God's people, and how they abandoned God and He pursued them and brought them back. I read an excerpt from a book that really captures this...

"First, God says that he will thwart our efforts to find life apart from him.

Therefore, I will block her path with thornbushes; I will wall her in so that she cannot find her way. She will chase after her lovers but not catch them; she will look for them but not find them (Hosea 2:6-7).

He does this in order to wear us out, get us to turn back to him in thirsty longing. Then he begins to woo us. He often takes us aside from every other source of comfort so that he alone can have our heart's attention.

Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert 

and speak tenderly to her (Hosea 2:14).

And it is here that we begin to experience Him not as the God-way-up-there, not the God-of-Sunday-mornings, but as the pursuer of our hearts--as Lover. 

"In that day," declares the Lord, "you will call me 'my husband;' you will no longer call me 'my master...' I will betroth you to Me forever;

 I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion" (Hosea 2:16, 19).

This love from Him is not something we must struggle for, earn, or fear to lose. it is bestowed. He has bestowed it upon us. He has chosen us. And nothing can separate us from His love. Not even we, ourselves. He is not interested in intimacy with the person you think you should be--but the real you." Taken from "Captivating."

So once again, I learned a new prayer. I pray for God to hedge me in with thornbushes when I try to wander away from Him and His Love and to make my idols distasteful to me.  Protect me from myself. I also pray that for the people I love--even if that should mean me.