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STANDING IN THE SHADOW OF LOVE ( HOSEA 14:1-7)

Isreal’s plea to return to God and God’s promise of forgiveness and restoration. 

REFLECTION 

Standing in the Shadow of love is the theme for our reflection. The theme is an invitation and the promise of God to Isreal that if they would turn away from their sins of idol worship and truly repent then His love will be like a shadow upon them and they will stand in the shadow of His love. (Hosea 14:7) 

My dear friend what God requires of us is a heart of repentance and obedience to His will. Some Christians of our time are not too different from the Israelites in Hosea’s time. Sin and Idol worship were predominant in that era and this is seen in Hosea 13: 1-2 when Hosea said that “When Ephraim spoke, there was trembling; he was exalted in Israel, but he incurred guilt through Baal and died. And now they sin more and more, and make for themselves metal images, idols skillfully made of their silver, all of them the work of craftsmen. It is said of them, “Those who offer human sacrifice kiss calves!” Isreal having realised the impending anger and judgement of God prayed for forgiveness and restoration in Hosea 14: 1-3 that “Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity.  Take with you words and return to the LORD; say to him, “Take away all iniquity; accept what is good, and we will pay with bulls the vows of our lips.  Assyria shall not save us; we will not ride on horses; and we will say no more, ‘Our God,’ to the work of our hands. In you the orphan finds mercy.” God heard their prayers and made a promise to love and restore them in Hosea 14: 4-7 

Beloved in the Lord, critically observe your relationship with God,  can you say boldly that you have been faithful to God? If not, then what has taken away your attention from God? You may be under the misconception that because you do not visit the shrine to pour libation or make sacrifices to smaller gods you are not involved in idol worship. Remember that anything that you are addicted to takes away your faithfulness and attention from God and reduces your love and passion to serve God. This development amounts to idol worship. Many Christians seem to show love to God on Sundays but are indeed addicted to other things within the week, we give those things all our attention and neglect our love and service to God. Many Christians of our generation continue to be mere Sunday worshippers. They have so many excuses and have no time for daily prayers and Bible studies to hear the voice of God and to know His will. They have become slaves and worshippers of money-making rituals, work, social media, business, ungodly pleasure and materialism. These things and many more have become the gods of their lives. It is for this reason Jesus admonishes us that “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. (Matthew 6:24).

Like the prodigal son, many of us are spiritually poor and empty and have lost our real purpose or essence in life because we are far from God. God loves us and expects us to stand in the shadow of His love therefore like the prodigal son “I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.  I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. (Luke 15:18-21) May this message awaken us to come to Jesus in total repentance and humility to receive the promise of God that “They shall return and dwell beneath my shadow; they shall flourish like the grain; they shall blossom like the vine; their fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon” (Hosea 14:7) Shalom.

PRAYER 

MERCIFUL GOD, WHEN WE GO ASTRAY MAY YOUR HOLY SPIRIT PROMPT AND LEAD US BACK INTO YOUR ARMS SO THAT WE SHALL ALWAYS STAND IN THE SHADOW OF YOUR LOVE. AMEN 

Rev. Jean-Paul Agid (Rev)