The Old Testament story of Hosea and Gomer presents a parable of God’s love for us. We are called, loved, redeemed by God, and yet we run after other things when we forget our identity as His beloved.
We believe the lies that who we are not enough and that who we are is dependent on what they do. How can we unhitch from the lies that hold us back from God’s love?
“There is no formula there is faith. Faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God. Any time we are dealing with a corrupt thinking that has become a habit – and our thoughts become habits – we need to go back is to that original thought and rephrase it so that truthful thought can become the habit. The only place to find the truthful thoughts, and the faith to believe them, is through the Scripture.
Jennifer Rothschild offers a short prayer to turn our eyes back to God’s Word when we lose our own way. She calls it a “faulty bow” prayer.
“The book of Hosea describes us – when we are following our own ways and our own wisdom – as a faulty bow. We’re just this crooked bow that the Lord is trying to direct, and we just wiggle and bend and land in all the wrong places. We need to turn, we just need to kind of turn back to God.”
Jennifer shares a simple prayer based on the word TURN that helps us remember to turn our thoughts to truth.
Teach me Your ways, Lord.
Unite my heart to fear Your Name.
Restore the joy of my salvation.
Never leave me or forsake me.
“It’s a simple prayer, but one that can redirect our mind back to Christ, where our hope and identity lie. We need to be reminded often of our redeemed identity, as Gomer was. This is a way we can very practically, every day, “begin to turn our thoughts toward truth.”
You can read more about Hosea and Gomer in Jennifer’s book, .
Key Scriptures: Psalm 37:23-24; Hosea
Featured Songs: Oh Me of Little Faith by Matthew West; Help My Unbelief by Jason Gray; Move (Keep Walkin’) by Toby Mac
