Pleasant Pheasant

Do you ever notice how patient you are, or if you have been kind to people? Are you jealous of things people have… or are you boastful? Have you been arrogant, or insisted on your own way? Do you resent certain people for things they have done, and do you hold onto things for too long? Or are you able to bear all things, believe all things, hope in all things, and endure all things? 

I need more love in my life, that is for sure. I hold onto things, I get offended, I don’t forgive as much as I should, and I’m impatient. My love is tainted and conditional. But there is such a thing as perfect love, and I have dwelled in it so many times that I can’t count how many times I have received it. It’s one of a kind. His name is Jesus.

There’s a story in the Bible about a guy named Hosea. He is told to go find a wife. Lucky for him, right? Not right. In fact, God tells him to go find a whore for a wife. A whore who cheats, lies, and feels unloveable… talk about a challenge. He follows through and finds Gomer. After she runs away what seems like countless times, the Lord tells him to go find her. Again. “And The Lord said to me, ‘Go again, love a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, even as the Lord loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love cakes of raisins.’ So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a lethech of barley. And I said to her, ‘You must dwell as mine for many days. You shall not play the whore, or belong to another man; so I will also be to you.” Hosea 3:1-3

It’s my favorite love story at the moment. Pure and simple… he was committed to her, even though he had so many reasons to give up on her. I am in awe of his character, but even more in awe of Gomer’s character. What made her so resistant? Why didn’t she just rest in his love? What was her problem, was she mentally ill? Seems like it! She chose her “cakes of rasin” over her husband who loved her almost unconditionally.

We choose things and objects and people over the Lord every day. What is wrong with us? Are we mentally ill, or are we just a little slow? How have we not figured out that He loves us unconditionally? We should want to please Him and rest His undoubtedly perfect love! Why do we choose our cakes of raisin instead of our Father?

What is your cake of raisin? Why do you choose that over the joy of the Lord? It could be as simple as what you do with your time, a hardened heart, or an attitude of unthankfulness. Whatever it is, is it worth holding onto when you could be living in the light of His perfect presence? Choose the bread of life over raisin bread. He is waiting for you to pick Him.