Walking the Way: A daily devotional

Hosea 9:14 Give them, O Lord—     what will you give? Give them a miscarrying womb     and dry breasts.   Thought for the day – Barren Womb, Open Hands Today’s thought is a Deb takeover As a woman, as a mother this passage is a hard read. I remember, a few years after we had adopted my ex-sister-in-law gave me a very belated adoption congratulations card, and the only words she had written in it were the words from this verse. At the time I was furious. So furious that I ripped the card up. Because to be reminded that as a woman my body had failed me, even though we had children through adoption was more painful than I can put into words. I guess, contextually, the inability to have children way back when Hosea was writing was more significant than now, when women aren’t tied to being a mother and housewife. But it is still significant. Significant because family relationships today are still complicated - both joyful and hurtful. I...

 Hosea 8:7 For they sow the wind,     and they shall reap the whirlwind. The standing grain has no heads;     it shall yield no meal; if it were to yield,     foreigners would devour it. Thought for the day – Reaping the whirlwind Yesterday we talked about how we all have some sort of oppositional defiance disorder. It’s called sin and the root of our spiritual ODD is our rebellion against God both in the Garden of Eden at the beginning and our ongoing rebellion is our sinful natures. And like all rebellions there are consequences. We sow the seeds and then wonder why we reap the whirlwind.  It’s almost as if we are too blind or unwilling to see the consequences of our actions. So, for instance, the church pastor that gets a little too close to their PA; or the Christian business owner that doesn’t keep to all the legislation; The church goer who is an absolute saint on Sunday but abuses their spouse during the week. All of these have consequences...

  Hosea 7:14 They do not cry to me from the heart,     but they wail upon their beds; they gash themselves for grain and wine;     they rebel against me.   Thought for the day – Exact opposite I love my kids. But every so often (read regularly) they drive me nuts. Like when I tell them to do things a certain way, and then they go and do it in whatever way they want. And when it all falls apart, they get upset because it ‘doesn’t work’ and ‘why is everything so hard.’ It’s as if they’re preprogrammed to do the exact opposite of what we want sometimes. And there’s a psychological term for this. It’s called ‘Oppositional Defiant Disorder’ or ODD.   Symptoms of ODD include: ·      Being unusually angry and irritable ·      Frequently losing their temper ·      Being easily annoyed ·      Arguing with authority figures ·    ...

Hosea 6:4 “What can I do with you, Ephraim?     What can I do with you, Judah? Your love is like the morning mist,     like the early dew that disappears. Thought for the day – Mist and dew I’m an early morning person. I regularly get up at 5 am and occasionally I go out and sit in the garden with a cup of coffee and just sit and enjoy the quiet before the chaos of the kids and ministry begin. But eventually the day comes round and life begins with all the busyness that it entails and that quiet In the mist and dew disappears like our verse this morning. In context our verse is about the superficiality of the worship of the Israelites. Hosea 6 has that profound verse ‘For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.’ About how going through the motions of worship isn’t enough, and the implication is that our shallow worship dissipates like dew and mist. But as I was thinking about the quiet of the mornin...

  Hosea 4:4 The Lord says, “Let no one accuse the people or reprimand them—my complaint is against you priests.   Thought for the day – Higher calling Today’s reading is God proclaiming judgement on the priests of Israel. And as a church minister that has some sort of priestly function it sits uncomfortably with me as I consider my own ministry in the light of the passage today. There can be no denying that those called to ministry face increased scrutiny in terms of their words, behaviours and attitudes. It’s not easy. But then being a Christian isn’t easy either.   For while I am an ordained minister, I firmly believe in the priesthood of all believers. As Peter say in 1 Peter 2, we are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that we may declare the praises of him who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light. We are all priests of God and we all subject to the highest calling. We are called to represent peopl...

  Hosea 3:3 I told her that for a long time she would have to wait for me without being a prostitute or committing adultery; and during this time I would wait for her. Thought for the day – Waiting Every so often I read a verse, and it just sits with me. I can’t explain it, and today’s verse just sat with me. I know it’s a metaphor for the people of Israel going through a period where they will have no kings. But in my head I have this image of God just sitting and waiting, while we just sit and wait. Or most likely sit and struggle with whatever we’re desperate not to do. And God is there sitting alongside us as we struggle with whatever it is God is called us to do or give up. It’s an image of someone who loves us enough to sit with us. Like the person supporting someone going through withdrawal. Holding their hair while they throw up or wiping their forehead as they sweat out their poison of choice. It’s an image of someone sitting in silence as the person they’re wi...