She Reads Truth: HoseaSample

Intro

Hosea? Interesting choice, huh?

Hosea was a prophet who cried out to the people of Israel thousands of years ago - calling them to repentance, almost repetitively, speaking and pointing all the while to restoration. The gospel implications in Hosea are exhaustive because where there is need and sin and brokenness, there is hope for a Savior to heal. But Hosea wasn’t just a prophet who cried out - the Lord allowed Him to be a living example of our Father’s pursuit, patience, justice, grace, and longing for relationship with us. If you can get past the pain and the angst, it’s an incredible read. A historical book you can sink your teeth into, sit in and soak up - while knowing all along, this is your story. This is the story of all of us. We run, we fall, we trip, we sin. He waits, stands, picks us up, and redeems us.

We’re honored to have you read through Hosea with us. Our prayer is that you’ll keep your eyes and hearts on the Heavenly Father character. What do we learn about Him from this book? How does it help us relate to Him and worship Him better? We’re asking that He’d open all of our eyes a little wider and let us see a bigger picture and a longer story. One where He is always the Hero.

Day 1 | Once we were not His people

You know that special moment a lot of us have as new believers where we sit before the Lord eagerly wondering just how it is He plans to use us? Possibly we sit with hands outstretched and eyes sweetly closed, waiting for our special gift or plan for our life? Kind of like children when they’re chosen to be their mama’s special helper? You know who might not have had that flowery experience? Hosea.

We can’t imagine how he felt about being a prophet in general, but it’s not a huge jump to assume that his special assignment was hard to swallow. Take wife who will not be faithful to you, get real good and connected and attached to her, and have babies with her. Name them “I Will Punish” and “No Mercy” and “Not My People” because they would be human flesh-filled examples of the rebellion people God was calling to Himself. The speaking about God was not enough, Hosea was called to live out a redemptive story and love the like Father as well.

I think this is the part where it’s easy to get caught up in the story of Hosea and Gomer and their family and pass by the willful, all-knowing act of our Father to take us as His people. The thing about the Good News, the Gospel, that is a little hard to swallow is that it is proceeded by some very bad news. Have you ever heard someone say “I’ve been a christian all my life” and felt a little funny about that? It’s not just about splitting hairs or semantics because the bad news is once we were not His people. Being found isn’t as beautiful if you don’t admit you were once lost. Receiving sight isn’t so miraculous if you weren’t once blind. Being a people of His own possession, being adopting by a Heavenly and righteous Father, being named as daughters of the King Almighty - those things aren’t as incredible if we don’t look full on at the bad news first.

Just like Hosea willingly chose Gomer, even more so - the Lord looked upon us and saw fit to make us His people. This is something to marvel and praise over. Never once did our Father flinch at the plan, since it was His to begin with - to reach out and retrieve us from a life of isolated rebellion and make us His people. Let’s take some time today to think on His great plan for us as His children.

Join the SheReadsTruth Community: http://bit.ly/SRTHoseaDay1