It perhaps can be a frightening thing to follow God, even after witnessing God manifest God’s power on earth, en-fleshed. From the parting of the red sea to fire and manna raining down from heaven – from the outside looking in, God seemed to be a bit erratic; however, God could present the same argument of humanity through the lived experiences of the Israelites. Bickering and begging to go back to Egypt and to be enslaved and the questioning of Moses’ leadership skills not knowing that this was not a mantle he chose, but a mantle that chose him. Hosea finds himself in the same predicament. Prophesying to a yet stubborn and non-litigious generation of Israelites, God – YHWH – does not seek to respond in wrath but in compassion.

Our text invites us into the prophetic wisdom of God as God’s words echoes throughout times and reminds us that “the people will end up following God.” That there will come a time where every knee and every tongue will confess, and when that happens, I believe, it will feel and sound like the very roar of God. The very love of God beckoning us to come home. Love is scary. Love is insane. Love is God and what God wants of his children who are as delicate as birds, precious and rare as doves. Do not be scared to love, even amid all of its frightening ways. God’s Word! God en-fleshed through Jesus Christ allowed Love to roar from that old rugged cross and all of God’s children, though frightened and scared, were giving the opportunity to come back home.

So, if you ever feel like you are one of those Israelites and you have a season of stubbornness or a season of prophesying like Hosea and not knowing what God is doing or trying to do through you. Remember that God’s love beckons all of us to return to love. To love at home, to love in those most intimate spaces regardless of where we may live, move, or have our being because that is who God is and who God has called us to be and to continue becoming. Let me ask you, aren’t you glad you came home?

Prayer: God of love – thank you for allowing your roar of love to bring us out of our hiding spaces. Thank you for looking beyond our faults and seeing our hearts, our needs, and even our shortcomings. Allow the roar of love not to scare us but to give us a Holy fervor to love one another and that if we see someone lost to invite them to come on home. Ase & Amen.