Dare2Dream

S – When the LORD began to speak by Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea: “Go, take yourself a wife of harlotry and children of harlotry, for the land has committed great harlotry by departing from the LORD.” - Hosea 1:2

O – I like how it says that the “Lord began to speak BY Hosea”. Not necessarily THROUGH Hosea, but BY him. By his actions. By what he did & what happened in his life. People probably were confused by Hosea's choice of a wife in a harlot named Gomer. But there was a purpose to all of it. God was speaking through what Hosea did.

A – I notice how symbolic and essentially poetic Hosea 1 is. From it’s style & it’s message, I understand 3 things about God:
1) God is so smart.
From the symbolic, intelligent workings of the passage & event, I see God’s amazing intellect, so detailed and always revolutionary. I just love thinking about how incredibly smart God is.
2) Because God is so smart, I must trust His plan.
I wonder how Hosea felt about taking a harlot-wife. God will ask me to do things that may be uncomfortable for me. He’ll ask me to do things that others may not understand. But I know from this story, other stories, and my story, that God never does anything just because He thinks it would be entertaining. He is always trying to accomplish something: whether it's teaching a lesson or revealing Himself, all that He does has a point! No matter how weird, confusing, or incomprehensible that thing is that God’s asked me to do, I have to do it with confidence, knowing that He has a purpose in ALL things He asks of me.
3) Because God is so smart & His plans are perfect, He will use all things for His glory.
That harlot was a harlot for a purpose. God used her greatly. This is a basic message we hear all the time, yet still holds true and amazes me every time I think of it: God uses anything, any situation, any one (even a harlot), for His glory & for His purposes. My story, my life & my struggles are going to be used for the Lord’s purposes. Period.

P – Lord, thank You for revealing more about Yourself to me. I love and admire Your intellect, I thank You that You give orders for a reason, and I praise You because You use even the junkiest junk in our lives for a divine purpose. Even when I can’t understand why You do what You do (and I usually can’t…), You have the complete picture in mind. Thank You my Lord, my God, my Friend, Forgiver, Lover, Savior. I love You.