My Hosea

Last night I had the privilege of celebrating with friends on their 30th wedding anniversary. As they were renewing their vowels and going over their lives together, I had the best feeling. I could truly see myself in years to come standing beside my husband, looking into his wonderful face and expressing my deepest feelings for him. What an awesome experience this has been so far and how much better I see it becoming.

Most people when they initially think of marriages in the bible and how husband are supposed to treat their wives, they probably turn to Ephesians. This is not true for me. I turn to Hosea. My first true glimpse of God was through my husband. Just going over this in my mind, tears are streaming down my face. I cannot express the feelings that I feel for this man. He is my lover. He is my dream come true. I was Gomer. There was nothing holy about my life and this man, who I thought of as my adversary, took me in.

Hosea 2, "But then I will win her back once again. I will lead her out into the desert and speak tenderly to her there. I will return her vineyards to her and transform the Valley of Trouble into a gateway of hope. She will give herself to me there... In that coming day, says the Lord, you will call me 'my husband' instead of my master. ...I will make you my wife forever, showing you righteousness and justice, unfailing love and compassion. I will be faithful to you and make you mine, and you will finally know me as LORD."

In all of this, I will try my best not to sound sacrilegious, but my husband is my lord. He is the first true glimpse of Christ for me. I worship him as my husband and my lover. He took me in, when there was nothing about me that was to be loved and he loved me better than I could have ever imagined. He is my heavy lifter, my rock and my shelter. When I think of being Christ's bride, it excites me, because I know how a man has loved me, I cannot imagine how truly wonderful His love must feel. Isn't this how it is supposed to be. We are supposed to feel so completely taken away by our lover that we would do anything for them and they would do anything for us. This is how I feel about my husband and my Lord. God knew that I needed to be able to feel His love and experience His strength, so He gave me the strongest man that I have ever met.

In the beginning I was fighting so hard against my husband and my God. I did not want him, I hated men. I saw him as weak and pathetic. My Lord opened my eyes to Him, through his strength. My Lord came into my life trough my lord and my savior came into my life through my Savior. They are intertwined. One is a man, and he sometimes fails me. We do not live in heaven, but on earth. One is my God, and He is always true to me. It took the love of a man to show me the love of my God. How grateful I am to them both. For I was stained as red as crimson, but now they have washed me white as snow. They protect me and care for me like no one I have ever known, and I did nothing to deserve any of it. Hosea 14:9, "Let those who are wise understand these things. Let those who are discerning listen carefully. The paths of the LORD are true and right, and righteous people live by wanking in them."