Hosea

For me personally, the book of Hosea is the most convicting in all of scripture. When you compare the relationship between humans and God to the relationship between a man and a woman, we can really see the weight of our sins. It also helps me grasp the concept that all sins are equal in God's eyes. When a spouse betrays their significant other, the specific act that takes place means very little. It's the intention behind it. It could be a "big" act or a "small" act, but in the heart of the betrayed, all they feel is that their beloved has given their attention, focus and affection towards somebody else when it was meant to be directed at them.

When God sees our sin, I think He feels the same way. It's not necessarily the action that bothers Him, but the condition of our heart. Whether we tell a "simple lie" or commit a murder, in God's eyes, we're giving our affection and focus to sin instead of directing it at Him.

It also helps us understand why we shouldn't sin. It's not to win brownie points with God or to impress our Christian friends. It's because our sin breaks the heart of God. If we claim to love God, why would we want to put Him in the situation where He feels "she decked herself with rings and jewelry, and went after her lovers, but me she forgot." (Hosea 2:13)

But God, in His mercy, is eager to forgive us and take us back. 

Below in a great retelling of the story of Hosea by Reggie Dabbs, an incredible youth speaker:

The Long Way

Like most people, I've sometimes wondered why God does things that way He does. I'm not necessarily upset by His ways or disagreeing with His plan, but I'm just curios as to why He chose to do things in a certain way.

A passage in Exodus 13 shed some light on this for me:

"When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, "If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt." - Exodus 13:17

There have been things happen in my life where I've wondered "wasn't there an easier way to get the same result?" Sometimes I wish I could go back in time a little bit and save myself a lot of trouble by doing things differently. But as this passage points out, God knows our hearts and our fears and He sees the obstacles that we would run into if we take short cuts. Something might seem easier at first, but there could be a piece of the picture that we're missing, and when we run into it, it would be more than we could bear. Like Israel being led out of slavery, we could run into a trial that we can't overcome and decide to turn back, giving up on God's plan for us. Instead, if we follow God, we'll find a path that isn't "beyond what we can bear" (1 Corinthians 10:13).

So in His mercy, God leads us around by taking the long route. He isn't disappointed or forceful with us by saying "suck it up and just plow through the short cut". He's gentle, leading us around the long path, saying "I know your fears and your struggles, and it's okay. We'll take the long way."

Give As God Gives

"As thunder follows lightning, giving follows grace"

    -Randy Alcorn