For Fri, Mar.23, 2001


      
                                                   
Meditations
Readings, Hosea 14:2-10 (14:1-9, RSV)
Psalm 81:6-11,14,17; Mark 12:28-34



      
I will heal their faithlessness; I will love
      them freely. (Hosea 14:4) 


      
Hosea is often referred to as the prophet
      of divine love, one who spoke of a God willing even to suffer
      in order to win back his beloved Israel. Both Hosea’s life
      and message exemplified one of the greatest sufferings possible:
      rejection. Learning that Gomer, his wife, had been unfaithful
      to him, Hosea chose not to divorce her but to seek her out and
      forgive her. In time, he actually won her back.


      
Hosea’s experience gave him a strong
      sense of the way God looked upon his people, Israel. He learned
      that Yahweh regarded Israel as his own “bride,” and
      that he wanted them to love him with the same intimacy and passion
      that a bride shows her husband. Hosea also learned what it was
      like for God to be rejected by Israel. This was not a God of
      vengeance, but a God of strong love and passionate desire.


      
Hosea’s words remind us that God is faithful,
      even when we are unfaithful. His message is ultimately one of
      hope and restoration. God will always work to bring us into a
      relationship with himself. Even his punishments against Israel
      were motivated by love. More than anything else, he wanted to
      restore Israel to himself as his beloved.


      
Do you want to be transformed in Christ and
      united with him intimately? Then embrace the work of healing
      that is meant to be part of the life you received in baptism.
      Hosea’s words are a call to persist with the Lord and let
      him free you from all that is self-centered and decaying. Allow
      the Holy Spirit to renew your love for the Lord. Recommit yourself
      to Jesus and allow him to change you.


      
Hosea’s rich imagery paints a picture
      of what God’s work of restoration will look like. We will
      “blossom as the lily” in holiness (Hosea 14:5). We
      will be nourished by his word that we may stand tall like a poplar
      (14:5-6). He will make us flourish in godliness like a beautiful
      and fragrant garden (14:7). Let’s welcome Jesus as he fills
      us with his presence and makes us into ministers of his life-giving
      Spirit. 


      


      “Lord Jesus, your love never fails. I commit myself to you
      this day that I may love you faithfully and be renewed in your
      image.”


      
Messages
      of Hope for Mar.23, 2001

      Avoid
      The Comparison Pitfall

      A “pitfall” is a concealed hole prepared as a trap
      for careless animals or people. First, a deep pit is dug. Afterwards,
      it is covered over with brush to hide it. Then it’s ready,
      just waiting to ensnare the unwary – those who are not alert
      to such dangers. Pitfalls were used in the jungle to capture
      wild animals and, sadly, to trap men and sell them into slavery.

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