🏳️‍🌈✝️ A Parable Life

 Written By Dr. Bill Strom

 November 22 2017

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“I will heal their waywardness and love them freely,  for my anger has turned away from them.” Hosea 14:4

Sometimes one’s life is a parable. And such was Hosea’s to the people Israel. To put it bluntly, Israel was messing around. They were ignoring their responsibilities to love the Lord their God with heart, mind and strength despite His never-ending love for them. In Chapter 4 Hosea shares God’s thoughts: “…the Lord has a charge to bring against you who live in the land: There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgment of God in the land. There is only cursing, lying and murder, stealing and adultery” (vs 1 – 2). So, God began a reform by audacious means. He commanded Hosea to marry a prostitute to parallel God’s relationship with Israel. So Hosea marries Gomer — prophet and prostitute, under the same roof— and bears children. Just as Hosea remained faithful to Gomer amidst her infidelity, so too God kept up his part of the covenant to draw the Israelites to Himself. In fact, he played an active role in their return. Might it be said that our lives are parable too? Perhaps not in stark terms as was Hosea’s with Gomer, but in subtle terms as we model God’s big story in small ways — reminding people that God seeks to redeem us, heal us, and shows covenantal love. If someone were to write your life as a parable, how would it read? And if a parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning, what message about God would your life share? Father, write your love story on my heart, and then use my life as a parable of your redeeming grace and mercy. Amen. Go Deeper — Take some time out this week to look back on your life. How has God brought you to Him? Write down your story as a reminder. Then if prompted, share that with at least one other person.