“I will block her path with thornbushes; I will wall her in so that she cannot find her way. She will chase after her lovers but not catch them; she will look for them but not find them. Then she will say, ‘I will go back to my husband as at first, for then I was better off than now.’” Hosea 2:6-7
Lord Jesus, I’ve been dazzled by high-altitude wildflowers of Switzerland, mesmerized by arms-swaying, head-dancing sea oats along the Gulf Coast of Florida, and jaw-dropped stunned by the green-on-steroids cliffs of Northern Ireland. But today, I praise you for the grace-gift of “thornbushes.” They’re not pretty, but they are precious.
You love us so much that when we love you less, you come after us with bulldog-tenacity and severe mercy. When we glance, meander, then start chasing after other “lovers,” you drop a boulder of “disruptive grace” in our path. We whine at first, then we worship you, Jesus. For every time our good longings (and selfish lusts) get hijacked, the delight is temporary and death is the destination. For good reasons you call them “worthless idols” (Jer. 2:5) and “broken cisterns” (Jer. 2:13).
Your love highlights, then mocks the insanity of our sin. What is a “one night stand” compared to an eternal standing in grace? You died to make us your beloved Bride; and now you rejoice over us with great delight and the loving gaze of a Bridegroom (Isa. 62:5). Jesus, forgive us. Free us.
Thank you for your unwavering love, “precious” thornbushes, and certain return. Oh, for the Day when it will be impossible for us to ever sin against your heart, beauty, grace again, Jesus. So Very Amen.