City of Bones

How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? ........ My heart churns within Me, My sympathy is stirred... ----- Hosea 11:8


Is there any human feeling more powerful than that of betrayal? Ask a high school girl whose boyfriend has dumped her for a pretty cheerleader. Or tune your radio to a country-western station and listen to the lyrics of infidelity. Or check out the murders reported in the daily newspaper, an amazing number of which trace back to a quarrel with an estranged lover.


In the Old Testament, God through Hosea’s marriage demonstrates in living color exactly what it is like to love someone desperately and get nothing in return. Not even God, with all His power, will force a human being to love Him.

Many people think of God as an impersonal force, something akin to the law of gravity. The book of Hosea portrays almost the opposite: a God of passion and fury and tears and love. A God in mourning over Israel’s rejection of Him (11:8).


God the lover does not desire to share His bride with anyone else. Yet, amazingly, when Israel turned her back on God, He stuck with her. He was willing to suffer, in hope that someday she would return to Him.

Hosea, and later Jesus, prove that God longs not to punish but to love. In fact, He loved us so much that He sent His Son to die for us.

I believe this is something I've been trying to explain to those I've been with so much for the past three months..........and I think it's something I've accepted and learnt to appreciate God's love. I understand that love cannot be forcefully implied and the greatest challenge, is to love someone who keeps saying No, who keeps rejecting, who keeps putting you at dead end, who keeps driving you nuts, who doesn't seem to deserve your effort and care and love at all.

I pray that God will continue to give me patience and perseverance as I continue my work.

No, I'm not trying to be God, but I think this verse from the Bible made me know that I'm not entirely stupid hanging on with a bunch of lunatics. Because God made us all in His own creativity, and He must have meant something to have made us in our own ways. And I think it's about time to stop saying sorry for not doing something, but rather, start doing something and take this opportunity to serve Him even though it may seem small or not utterly important.

Everything begins from the first step. If one cannot even tolerate, work it out, strive for a dying society, then I don't think we are worthy enough to be serving at the sanctuary. Because we have made judgement before God can even judge us.

If He could've have faith in us, I don't see why we can't.

Really, stop trying to think you're just a jerk and something's wrong with you. Stop folding your arms across your chest and wait for the outcome to prove that you're correct but rather, work your ass off, hell yeah, work your ass off for Him, even if it doesn't work, your treasures are stored in Heaven. And by right, if you keep thinking about the outcome, you do not have faith in Christ.

I think it's about time I throw this question to you. Are you really concerned about the outcome, or are you concerned about your dignity and ego that may be bruised if all else fails?