Road Warriors: Hosea—A Message of Grace - Friday
Hosea 14:4-7
The Lord says, “Then I will heal you of your faithlessness; my love will know no bounds, for my anger will be gone forever. I will be to Israel like a refreshing dew from heaven. Israel will blossom like the lily; it will send roots deep into the soil like the cedars in Lebanon. Its branches will spread out like beautiful olive trees, as fragrant as the cedars of Lebanon. My people will again live under my shade. They will flourish like grain and blossom like grapevines. They will be as fragrant as the wines of Lebanon.” (NLT)
Yesterday we wrapped up with a reflection acknowledging the way our previous experiences shape our current perspective, and how that perspective can be projected onto God’s promises and taint them. Hosea 14 brings us a beautiful image of what it looks like for God to heal us when we repent, as well as an image of life emerging from death. After comparing the rebellious but repenting Israelites to orphans, Hosea provides the words in today’s scripture.
Poetic writing in the Old Testament is common and comes in various forms. Most writing of this nature is to further emphasize the heart of what is being said, which is accomplished so well in this section with its descriptive and flowing language. God’s renewing love is promised to Israel, and this same promise applies to us today when we repent. This love is transforming as well as corrective. He justifies us and puts us back on His path toward life. On that subject, there’s a smaller tidbit in Hosea 14:9 that I found interesting. In fact, it’s a bit of a twist on Jesus’ words in Matthew 7 about the narrow vs. broad road.
Hosea relays that the Lord’s paths are right, and people experience true life by walking in them. But sinners stumble and fall in those paths. The first thing that comes to mind when I read this is “lukewarm” Christians who haven’t taken their faith completely seriously—the way they live sometimes conflicts with what they say they believe. They seem to be conflicted in their existence because aspects of their lives are always out of sync, like a person constantly stumbling along the path they’re on. I can’t say, however, that I don’t also personally identify with that when I start to neglect my priorities. My life gets out of sync, and I feel like I am stumbling, tripping, and dragging myself along while trying to stay on the right path. Usually this is accompanied by the temptation to head towards the broad road, with the sense that I can find my footing there and then head back to the narrow road. If you’re like me, though, any time spent on the broad road lasts longer than I intend it to, and eventually leads to hurt that requires healing only Jesus and the narrow road can bring.
Friday’s Reflection
The narrow road is challenging but life-giving. The broad road is tempting. Decide today to set your sights on the narrow road, and ask for Jesus to help you walk in His way.
