- And she did not know that it was I who gave her the grain, the wine, and the oil, and who lavished on her silver and gold, which they used for Baal. Hosea 2:8 – We see within this passage that Hosea’s adulterous wife had chosen to live in the house of her false lover. There she was enjoying bread, water, oil, and drink, and she believed that it was her lover that was providing her such things. Yet Hosea clarifies for us what really was happening, he was still providing all this for her. One commentator said to imagine Hosea knocking on the door of the man’s house that his wife was in, dropping off groceries to make sure she was taken care of because he knew this other man couldn’t provide for her, and then this other guy pretending he was the one taking care of Hosea’s wife. This is us with the Lord. We may believe that our sin is offering us so much. We are finding relief from the pain, rest from the chaos, and happiness from the high. We believe that it’s because these sinful things are in our life that we are being taken care of, but it’s because God hasn’t left us that we are being taken care of. He is still providing rest, love, and life for us even when we have strayed from Him. Yet as we see from the chapter, God will take His blessings back for a time so we will finally see it’s not our sin taking care of us, it’s our God providing for us. If you are waging war with some sin right now, remember anything good that you think you are receiving from that sin is from the Lord and not from the sin. Turn from the sin to the Lord and realize that not only will the good you were receiving still be there, but that it is just the beginning of the good God wants to bring into your life. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2941
- And there I will give her her vineyards and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. And there she shall answer as in the days of her youth, as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt. (v.15) At first when reading over this passage, that little phrase “and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope” didn’t stand out at all, but I was drawn back to it for some reason. When I looked into what Achor means, it changed the whole meaning of the phrase for me and I’ll do my best to explain it to you. Achor means trouble. God is saying I will make out of your valleys of trouble a door hope for you. That your past struggles and mistakes are true valleys of troubles that have kept you down and out for longer than you or God wanted. Yet, that valley of trouble that you’ve dwelt in for so long doesn’t have to be the end of your story. God is opening a door for you. One of hope that where you are at now, this valley, isn’t your ending. A hope that God isn’t done with your story yet and the writing of your story so far doesn’t have to be the way your story ends. He is showing you that He can make something beautiful even out of your worst situations. So while the valley is dark and deep, recognize it’s never to messed up for God to create a door of hope in it for you. – Daily DEVO 25
- Therefore I will hedge up her way with thorns, and I will build a wall against her, so that she cannot find her paths. She shall pursue her lovers but not overtake them, and she shall seek them but shall not find them. Then she shall say, ‘I will go and return to my first husband, for it was better for me then than now.” Hosea2:6-7 – Keep in mind this book is about Israel abandoning their pursuit of God and going after other gods. So this adulterous wife being spoke of is Israel and her “lovers” she goes after are the false gods. In our passage God says He will make it difficult for her to get to her lovers. Why would he do that? Just like a parent would make a rule and put up a fence so a child won’t run into the street, so will God help us to not run into areas that will hurt us. But we can break rules and open the gate to walk out of the fence. God gives us a choice, but He is going to do all He can to help us make the right on. Make sure you’re not crawling over all that Jesus has done for you so you can entertain your sinful desires just a little longer. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 552
- And in that day, declares the Lord, you will call me ‘My Husband,’ and no longer will you call me ‘My Baal.’ Hosea 2:16 – Ishi and Baali. Ishi is the word used here for “husband” and baali is the word used for Baal. Both words were used back in the day of Hosea to speak of a marriage relationship and to help the hearer understand the nature of that relationship. Ishi would express a loving, caring sort of marriage while baali would speak to a lordship and fearful marriage. What God then is saying here is that as He begins to heal His people that He wants to change their viewpoint of His marriage with them. No longer does He want them to see Him as baali but to see Him as Ishi. No longer does He want you to see Him as baali but to see Him as Ishi. God wants a loving, caring relationship with you, not one of fear and power. How then do you see God in your story? Does seeing God wanting a more loving relationship with these people change the way you feel about your relationship with Him if you see Him more as a baali? Know He wants to be your Ishi. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1670
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