Tug-of-War

Based on Hosea 1-3

The idea of home to me has always been a place of relief, comfort, family, and safety. A place to relax after work and everything else. As Moms, our homes are our work (stay-at-home or not!). That's because, in order for our homes to be that relieving, comforting, family-friendly safe spot, it takes WORK. Sometimes you're in a tug-of-war with you on one side, and everything else on the other...

It's not easy and it sometimes hurts (both physically and emotionally!). As Moms, we usually have an in-born desire to make our homes this way (usually after the out-birth of our children!). But it isn't just mothers who fight for the unity & peace in a family...

Hosea in the Bible was a man who had to put in A LOT of work to keep his marital relationship together...God instructed him to do so (since marriage is a God thing to begin with!):

"The beginning of the word of the Lord by Hosea. And the Lord said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the Lord."
Hosea 1:2.

What!? Certainly there was someone better for Hosea than that, right!? Well, there was more to the picture than that...God used Hosea's obedience & strong sense of commitment in his relationship with his wife Gomer to show just how much God Himself longed for Israel to stay in a relationship with Him, even after Israel committed the same abominations...God really, really loves us & has so much mercy on us!

"And she conceived again, and bare a daughter. And God said unto him, Call her name Lo–ruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away. But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the Lord their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen." Hosea 1:6-7.

God will never destroy His connection to His people completely, no matter what happens...that's how it was with Hosea & Gomer, and that's how it is on our marriages, and our relationship with God. We have to go through some pretty tough stuff sometimes: betrayal, hurt, pain, suffering...all in this wonderful life we are trying to build together as a family...but staying true gets you through!

"And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them: then shall she say, I will go and return to my first husband; for then was it better with me than now."

Hosea 2:7.

God always desires for us to turn back to Him. To stick with the vows, promises & commitments we once made. He shows us freely how to do that through His Word (which is His marriage covenant to us!). You'll see, it will be better than anything else out there!

God will get you through the tough times with your family. In staying committed in a relationship with Him, there's a love like no other. A peace which surpasses our understanding. Choose Jesus & choose the best life today!