can you tell what this blog's gonna be about? :) anyways, been meaning to do this for quite some time now, but never really got the chance to just sit and actually DO it. and so in light of the beginning of reading week before i tackle the rest of life, i shall sit and blog a bit. :) let us begin, shall we?
beginning i guess with the revelations that i came upon after a mentoring session recently... we covered the parable of the sower in mark 4... and the one thing that stood out to me the most was this:
"Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times." ...
...Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown."
i've found that i can really relate to the seed falling among thorns. not that that's where i'm at all the time i guess, but most of the time... there are so many worries, so many distractions, so much drama that happens in my life, that at times it causes me to become unfruitful. i spend so much time thinking about it, and the confusion that comes out of it (see previous post) consumes my mind so much that it renders me useless for other things that are more important in life... quite the eye-opening... continuing on...
as of late, i have read through a few of the chapters in hosea. for those of you who don't know... hosea was a prophet back in the old testament who was called by God to marry a prostitute and to continue to love her and forgive her despite her infidelities. this was meant to model God's relationship with the nation of Israel, who continually betrayed God and worshipped false idols.... and well i would like to argue that this particular chapter in hosea may be one of the most romantic chapters in the Bible... maybe even more so than the ones that exist in Song of Songs...
I loved him,
and I called
my son out of Egypt.
But as the saying goes,
"The more they were called,
the more they rebelled." They never stopped offering
incense and sacrifices
to the idols of Baal.
I took Israel by the arm
and taught them to walk.
But they would not admit
that I was the one
who had healed them.
I led them with kindness
and with love,
not with ropes.
I held them close to me; I bent down to feed them.
But they trusted Egypt
instead of returning to me;
now Assyria will rule them.
War will visit their cities,
and their plans will fail.
My people are determined
to reject me for a god
they think is stronger,
but he can't help.
Israel, I can't let you go.
I can't give you up.
How could I possibly destroy you
as I did the towns of Admah
and Zeboiim? I just can't do it.
My feelings for you
are much too strong.
Israel, I won't lose my temper
and destroy you again.
I am the Holy God--
not merely some human,
and I won't stay angry.
I, the LORD, will roar like a lion,
and my children will return,
trembling
from the west.
They will come back,
fluttering like birds from Egypt
or like doves from Assyria.
Then I will bring them
back to their homes.
I, the LORD, have spoken!
- hosea 11:1-11 (cev)
it marvels me how much God really loves us. this past week, i've come to realize the shortcomings we as Christians, as humans, have, and generally my own weaknesses. and yet, God speaks to us and says that He can't let us go, can't give us up, cuz He feels so strongly for us. now i know He specifically refers to Israel, but i would like to believe that we are just as and maybe even more so precious to Him as Israel was then, at the time of Hosea.
and well in relation to the previous passage i've posted (sorry this is lengthy) it's even more amazing and ultimately comforting that despite getting caught up in the worries/distractions/drama (both necessary and unnecessary), God still refuses to give up on us. He still refuses to give us up and let us deal on our own... and well from what i got from communion this morning, He still desires to be right with us... pursuing us with a love that is un-ending, incomparable, and incomprehensible. with the coming of the infamous valentine's day... maybe these are the Words that we should have resounding in our heads, the Words that we hide in our hearts, the Words that give us that tingly feeling inside, and ultimately the relationship we really need to pursue and pay attention to...
I can't give you up... I just can't do it.
My feelings for you are much too strong."
- God