Somebody, Please!

Ho 10:12-13 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.  Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men.
 

Ho 13:6 According to their pasture, so were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten me.
 

Ho 13:9 O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help.
 

Ho 12:6 Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep mercy and judgment, and wait on thy God continually.

I suppose the darkest days of my life will be remembered for as long as I live. As a seven year old young girl cuddling my six year old sister, I literally watched the stars in the dark, summer night while listening to drunken men and women laugh and slobber all over each other. The liquor store’s blinking, enticing light caught our attention but we ran for shelter towards an old dilapidated barn. The climb inside the barn seemed an eternity while my sister cried with such fear in her voice.  I thought we would die, but with trembling, small fingers we made it up the ladder and quickly shoved ourselves into the corner. 

Mama had left us for the last time and Daddy could not be found. He had no idea what this night held for us and certainly did not know that Mama had walked off and left everything…..EVERYTHING!  Oh how my Daddy loved my Mama! My sister cried most of the night but somewhere in the wee hours of the morning she hushed and drifted off into sleep. The agony that children feel and experience because of the sins of their Mom and Dad do so much damage, a damage that sometimes is never repaired…….until somebody helps them, loves them and shows them the love of Christ!
 

Sometimes your journey through the Word of God will bring up a memory like this one has for me. Hosea is very close to my heart. Every year when I read it, I get something from it that I did not get the previous year, BUT EVERY TIME I READ IT I am reminded of the sin of my Mama. Maybe, as you read God’s Word you are like me. A memory pops up and you may think, “I dealt with that, Lord, a long time ago,” and probably you did but sometimes maybe you didn’t. It’s very important on this journey to be honest with God and talk it through with Him. He already knows your heart anyway, so, just be honest. It is impossible to know Him more, if we are not straightforward with Him.  

   

The nation of Israel left God….they walked away from everything, EVERYTHING good, decent and truthful to follow their idolatrous ways. They wanted their own way and not God’s way.
 

Ho 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

Hosea is a difficult book to comprehend in one sense and yet it makes all the sense in the world! We don’t like to ponder these thoughts of a harlot, adultery and rebellion because we had rather hear about love, faith and righteousness. My God taught me a lesson in life long before I knew Jesus as my Savior. Go figure! Somewhere in that darkest night, I cried out to God, “Somebody, somebody please help me!”

I stood by the broken glass up in that barn loft and knew that my sister and I would be the victims of a terrible abuse if someone didn’t rescue us.  That someone was God Himself! I can’t explain it, folks, but that night He placed a shield of protection where no man or woman could touch! Just the mere cry from a child’s heart or a man or woman in another country who doesn’t know about Jesus’ saving grace, can capture the ear of an awesome, wonderful God. HE WILL SEND HELP! I knew God heard me. He was all that I had! I shall never, never forget that night.

Ho 2:5 For their mother hath played the harlot: she that conceived them hath done shamefully: for she said, I will go after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink.

Now, you may judge me for telling such a thing that has brought shame to our family and may even ask, “Why would you tell something like this about yourself?” Do you know why? I want you to see how the scriptures teach us about Him AND about us, sorry and lowly that we are sometimes. God has given us EVERYTHING and we walk away from it, wipe our lips and say, “I haven’t done so badly.” I am no different than my Mama and neither are you, because the Bible says that we are all sinners! 

Every Word of God must be read…….every Word, over and over and over, year after year after year. You and I will always grow as long as we don’t put the Book down and walk away from EVERYTHING that is beautiful, just for us! He waits. He listens for you to get up, get your coffee or tea and go to Him. He watches you read Him and loves on you, but He also warns you of the dark side of sin that will destroy this sweet fellowship. Thank God He cares enough to be honest with us.
 

Ho 14:4  I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him.
 

If His anger turned away, then so should we do the same. Maybe for you it is time to make that call to someone who has hurt you and make amends and turn back to EVERYTHING!

Until next time, Lord willing

Sharon