Isaiah 53:5 New Living Translation (NLT)

⁵ But he was pierced for our rebellion,
    crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole.
    He was whipped so we could be healed.

In life we take so many things for granted. You don’t realize how blessed you are to be married until you are divorced because you abused your spouse. You don’t realize how fortunate you are to have a home until you are homeless. You don’t realize the value of Biblical stewardship until you have lost all your money. You don’t realize so many things until you lose everything….

Psalm 68:5-6 The Message (MSG)

^5-6 Father of orphans,
    champion of widows,
        is God in his holy house.
God makes homes for the homeless,
    leads prisoners to freedom,
        but leaves rebels to rot in hell.

*****

I think about Gomer, Hosea’s wife.. How she chased another man instead of staying with her husband. She left her life and stability because she wanted someone else.. The things of the world… and then after she was destroyed finally her Hosea… her husband came.

If you ever watch the movie Amazing Love, it will give you a understanding of marriage. Of Love. This woman ……. Gomer, a beautiful woman left her family for another man. One day, she didn’t want to dance… she didn’t want to engage in her new boyfriend’s festivities … and what did he do? He removed her from his presence.. All her pretty clothes? Gone. All her beauty? Now destroyed.

And to make matters worst… She is exposed in front of everyone.. and she sits there in bondage.. dirty and destroyed while people are making bets on her and mocking her.. Gomer… This beautiful woman now destroyed… and then…. Hosea comes… and even though she left him and even though she looks dirty with rags on… He picks her and takes her. That’s love.

My Testimony

I grew up in the church, yet I was so abused as a child. Sexually abused, mentally, physically, and emotionally… I was the Vice President of the Choir lead praise and worship and went to the wilderness… Then I started working again , had a good job as debt collector had another job working at Macy’s but left God.. and went to stripping and prostitution. I had a little boyfriend and one day I decided I didn’t want to dance anymore. I stopped going to the strip club and he just left me…

I am Gomer. I remember when I had everything… When I had money, when I had all that I could want and I left God… and lost everything… As I travel through life, waiting and wondering God when…. God why… God how… when are you going to do it? When are you going to deliver me… God when.. please God … please… when. I think of Gomer

Beaten, bruised, and dirty… yet redeemed.

Hosea 3 New Living Translation (NLT)

Hosea’s Wife Is Redeemed

3 Then the Lord said to me, “Go and love your wife again, even though she^[a] commits adultery with another lover. This will illustrate that the Lord still loves Israel, even though the people have turned to other gods and love to worship them.^[b]”

² So I bought her back for fifteen pieces of silver^[c] and five bushels of barley and a measure of wine.^{[d] 3} Then I said to her, “You must live in my house for many days and stop your prostitution. During this time, you will not have sexual relations with anyone, not even with me.^[e]”

⁴ This shows that Israel will go a long time without a king or prince, and without sacrifices, sacred pillars, priests,^[f] or even idols! ⁵ But afterward the people will return and devote themselves to the Lord their God and to David’s descendant, their king.^[g] In the last days, they will tremble in awe of the Lord and of his goodness.

As I walk by faith and not by sight… Through the darkest valley… I pray . Sometimes that’s all you can do is pray. We take grace to far. We think we can do everything we want to do without natural consequences…. My consequence was losing everything the pretty clothes, my beauty, my success, my friends… but yet I will not despise the chastening of the LORD.

So today when you listen to stupid city girls and cardi b and they talk about prostitution, don’t be deceived.

Love Mixed With Faith <3,