Hosea 1:10  “Yet the Israelites will be like the sand on the seashore, which cannot be measured or counted. In the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ they will be called ‘children of the living God.’” (NIV)

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Well, howdy! I have been on a journey the last couple of weeks. Part of that journey has been purely metaphorical. Another part took me to the East Coast and back. Both journeys have been instructive. 

I haven’t traveled as much this year as I normally do. A big reason why has to do with the surgery I had on April 2nd. I was supposed to have the surgery earlier in the year, but I needed to make a trip to the West Coast and could not delay it, so I delayed the surgery. 

The surgery required two months of recovery. I thought that was overly cautious. It was a minor surgery; however, that particular surgery was more taxing on me physically and emotionally than the major surgeries I’ve endured over the last few years. 

Life is better now that I can pick up my granddaughters again. Last week was granddaughter week. It was a good week. 

Thank you for your patience. 

I learned to love the book of Hosea many years ago. As we read this together and ponder its truths, it may be hard to see why I love the book. There are some reasons I cannot explain. Take a good look at this first chapter. It’s only 11 verses long. You can get the whole sweep of the book in these few paragraphs. 

Verse one tells the setting and locates the book in time. It was not a good time for Israel and Judah. God gave Hosea an assignment that most of us would be really, really, really uncomfortable with. We might even tell God No. We would probably tell God No. 

Hosea’s obedience was undoubtedly burdensome. His obedience, no doubt, crushed his heart. His life became a parable of God’s relationship with the people he chose to use to express his grace, mercy, and kindness through. He wanted to use this group of people to express his love to the whole world, to bless the whole world, but they were anything but a blessing. 

Hosea and his wayward wife had three children. Their names were Jezreel, Lo-Ruhamah, and Lo-Ammi. Some biblical names are hard to pronounce. Sometimes the best policy is to say them quickly and pretend you have the right pronunciation. 

More than challenging pronunciations, here are the challenges posed by the names’ meanings:

• Jezreel, no doubt a precious little boy, was named after a massacre.
• His little sister Lo-Ruhamah has a name that means “not loved”.
• His little brother Lo-Ammi means “not my people”. 

God is sending a message to his wayward people through Hosea’s marriage challenges in the names of his children. It’s not hard to understand the message. 

Despite this uncomfortable setting, the bottom line is beautiful. Verse 10 gives us the hope on the other side of the hurt. This is a consistent theme throughout the Bible. The stupid things we do that get us into such painful situations can be redeemed when we turn our hearts to God. He receives us just as we are. He renews us better than ever. He reestablishes us for a special future, and he prepares us to live with him forever. 

This is a truth to remember with every harsh prophecy and difficult instruction. All of the hard sayings are bent toward our good. They are all intended to help us thrive. They all lead somewhere better than we ever could plot or pursue for ourselves. 

When God says “Don’t,” he also says “Do.” When God says “Stop,” he also says “Go.” There may be ten verses of negativity, but there is one verse of positive alternative that becomes the inflection point for a life that is beautiful and wonderful. 

Seek God’s positive alternative. Live in that state of beauty and wonder. Choose his path that always leads through the pain to the healing. 

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I will seek God’s positive alternative.

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Our Father, thank you that you are the God of the positive alternative. You tell us upfront how we should live, and then, when we make choices that mess that up, you tell us what we need to do to come back to you, to return to you. You don’t hold us at arm’s length. You don’t punish us beyond measure. You draw us back to yourself with cords of kindness. It is your kindness that leads us to repentance. It is your kindness that you want to express through us to others. Thank you for your gentle hands and your loving heart. Amen.