bleat

"...the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes....they exchanged their Glory for something disgraceful....they have deserted the Lord....they are unfaithful to their God....The Israelites are stubborn, like a stubborn heifer. How then can the Lord pasture them like lambs in a meadow?" (Hosea 3:1; 4:7, 10, 12, 16).

I wrote in the margins of my Bible: It is completely the choice of the Israelites to be far from God. God is the one loving them, He is not the one deserting them, He is not the one being unfaithful, He is not the one being stubborn. He wants to pasture them like lambs in a meadow. Look at Isaiah 40:11, "He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart." All we have to do is let Him. Do you ever feel like you want to be strong for God? That He's disappointed if you're weak? I do. All the time. But that's not at all what He wants. How can He carry the lamb close to his heart - which is where I want to be - if the lamb keeps kicking and struggling to prove how capable it is? It takes will to be far from God, but surrender to be near Him. I need to be reminded that He actually wants me to be near Him: "But now, this is what the Lord says--he who created you, he who formed you: 'Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine'" (Isaiah 43:1).

Who could love you, desire you, miss you, know you, want you, more than He who created you?

Please forgive me for time that I've wasted
I'm a doubting Thomas
I'll take Your promise
Though I know nothing's safe
Oh me of little faith
~ Nickel Creek