Love Story

Hosea 2:7-8
"She will chase after her lovers but not catch them; she will look for them but not find them. Then she will say, 'I will go back to my husband as at first, for then I was better off than now.' 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."

Once again, I find that after searching and running and falling for "other lovers" I have come face to face with the fact that with my Savior "I was better off than now." But for too long I have not acknowledged or understood that He is the one that I want... that I need. That He gave me everything. How can I know that with Him things are so much better, but then still crave the sin and deceit of this world?

Hosea 2:9-10, 13
"Therefore I will take away my grain when it ripens, and my new wine when it is ready. I will take back my wool and my linen, intended to cover her nakedness. So now I will expose her lewdness before the eyes of her lovers; no one will take her out of my hands... I will punish her for the days she... went after her lovers, but me she forgot."

This past semester I have felt that God was so far from me. And I wondered... how could this be? I know the Truth, He is not far. Yet time and time again I would cry out to no answer. I would fill pages with empty words, soak pillows in despair, and cling to verses that I could find no meaning in. But somewhere deep inside I knew... it was me. I didn't stray for long... but when I came back, it was with attachments. Attachments to my "other lovers" that hindered me from experiencing abundant life, blessing, peace, joy, and so much more. I had forgotten my Love.

Hosea 2:14-16
"Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her. There I will giver her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Anchor a door of hope. There she will sing as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of Egypt. In that day," declares the Lord, "you will call me 'my husband'; you will no longer call me 'my master',"

How precious is the love that our Savior has lavished on us that He will take us outside of our own chaotic mess in order that He might "speak tenderly" to us... allure us and call us back to Him. What more could we ask for than to have a husband instead of a master?

Hosea 2:19-20
"I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion. I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the Lord."

That is who I want to be.


*Following are song lyrics by Jason Morant that he wrote after reading Hosea, and are what inspired me to read Hosea years ago.

Lovely

Lovely, oh how I've missed you
Time has slowed way down
And removed what has felt like a part of my soul
I've waited and waited for my love
To melt through the ice that
Keeps you from dancing, keeps you alone

Follow me to the temple
Where we first met
It was love at first touch
But since then
Your affairs have you
Down on your face again, down on your face again

Lovely, your heart can be trusted
But the toll road you've taken
Has cost you much more than you realize
So hold fast to all you've been given
And cling to the lifeline
You've had within reach all of this time

Follow me to the temple
Where we first met
It was love at first touch
But since then
Your affairs have you
Down on your face again, down on your face again

Try and remember the things I've said to You
Follow me to the temple
Where we first met
It was love at first touch
Follow me into the daylight
And it will be like it was, like it was
I have done and will do anything
To have you again my love
To have you again my love
To have you again my love
To have you again



- Christina