harlots, adulterers

So, I promised to tell you about my disciple class again this week.  This week was the story of Hosea and his unfaithful, adulterous wife Gomer.  My first visit to my counselor following my discovery of Mark's affair, he told me to read this story.  Probably because it ends with redemption, forgiveness and pure love. I didn't see it or get it then...I thought what an idiot Hosea is...now I get it!!

I've never heard the word harlot or adultery used so much in one book of the bible, with a little whoring thrown in now and then...Sounds like one of my outbursts!  Here is what our workbook said:

Notice how God relates the punishment to the crime..."You played the whore" therefore everything is polluted, adulterated (Hosea 9:1)
The security of home has been violated..(Hosea 9:14)
You wanted to wander like a wild ass (8:9) So be it! You will "become a wanderer among nations" (9:17)
Cause and effect is how God explains it...You plow wickedness; you reap injustice (10:13)  You break the bonds of marriage... you end up in slavery.

Sounds like one of my rampages I get on....was he talking about Gomer or the people he loved, Isreal?
It was both...That's what I love about bible study...we think it is this oh so boring book of the bible...when it is so much more...my youth would love this story because of all of the sexing and whoring...they would love to just be able to say those words!! And to think it is right there in the bible...and they think it is just Jonah and the whale.

And after all of this ranting and raving about the Isrealites...God still can't punish his people because he loves them too much...He talks a good one but talks himself out of it if they repent of their ways...just like Hosea will do if Gomer repents...and like Kim would have done if Mark would have repented.  It talked about how the prophet, Hosea could prophesy on this topic because he knew how God felt when he was betrayed he understood God's pain ...because he too had been so betrayed and heart broken...I understand too, God...I've been there with you...and I pray I never forget the pain, sorrow and that oh so sick feeling,
God responds to all the betrayal by saying....It is I (God) who answers and looks after you. (Hosea 14:8)
You know what this means?  He also knows exactly I feel and felt...wow!

Sort of goes with that song last night...God's grace...you can never get too far from it...you can never do anything so bad that God gives up on you...God's love is unconditional and forever.

I need to learn a few lessons.

Thank goodness it is.

God grieves with us

I turned on my  television this morning and Joyce Meyer was on...I love her...she is so blunt and down to earth...and you can understand and relate to her message.

This morning it was forgiveness.  How appropriate after yesterday's tirade..She talked about Joseph who was sold into slavery by his brothers who eventually came to him for their survival.  After this he lived for 110 years...After tragedy he had a long and prosperous life.  This story proves there is life after tragedy...there are many stories in the bible, Job, Jacob where tragedy leads to a long and prosperous life.  She said this morning God will use the evil that happens to us to help us grow and develop in him.  Wow... I know in my heart I have grown...I know I've grown closer to God. Something else I read this week confirms this by saying, We lose closeness to God when there is no sorrow in our life.  I do know  during this tragedy I feel like I know God inside and out and he knows me the same way.  When the suffering ends will we still be this close?

Every day I have Mark and Kathy and their families on my prayer list and I grudgingly pray for them to find peace.  I think grudgingly is the key word here.  Joyce this morning says pray about the stuff you don't want to pray about.  If you don't want to pray about it...you need to...Maybe I better take those grudge prayers and make them true prayers.

Hating is hard work.  It takes a lot of our energy.  I know that and most days are good, most days I am happy and realize this is a good thing and I look forward to my future and all it will bring...but sometimes the hatred just comes...out of the blue and for no reason....and I am drained following...when you give the devil a foothold he grabs on, doesn't he.

I think about God grieving with me...he doesn't want bad things to happen to us but when they do he is with us and he grieves, too.  He grieved for the lose of those two marriages and the covenant of both said in his presence.  He grieves for the four grown children that were affected and their families...he grieves for the three small grandchildren that know something is wrong and their security and life has changed.  God accepts the grief and joins us in it.  But this is the good thing...he also transforms that grief and from it comes peace, kindness and something beautiful...I am looking forward to that time but for now I will find peace in knowing God is grieving with me.