She is Hosea's Wife

I came across a certain post that reinforced a lot of my perceptions and beliefs concerning marriage. 

"I am Hosea’s wife.

I have been unfaithful to God’s calling on my life. I have purposefully gone the opposite path. The path to destruction. The path to addiction. I have been prideful in my mothering, taking credit for something God has and is equipping me for. I have put other things before God. I have said things, thought things that are less than pleasurable to hear.

Yet, God pursued me anyways. He loves me anyways. And He always will."

Gomer was a young, well known prostitute. She jumped around, from man to man. She was not the “Take home to mama girl” that you would classify as wife material. Hosea was a prophet after God’s heart. He was listening for God’s instruction. Listening for God to speak into his life. And boy, did God speak. He told Hosea to get himself an “adulterous wife and children of unfaithfulness….” (Hosea 1:2.) Hosea’s marriage to this unfaithful woman, Gomer, represents God’s relationship with his unfaithful people. The underlying message is that of love and holiness.

As wives, we are called to extend grace, to love, support and encourage the same grace that Christ offers us each time we fall. I have mentioned this before, but I will say it again. God uses marriage as a means of refining our holiness not our happiness.Toddlers will cry and sulk and utilize any means possible to avoid eating their vegetables, but we know  those veggies are healthy and very necessary for their development (especially when you haven't been able to use the loo for several days.)  

We need to let go, and let God supply the love we need for deep emotional and physical intimacy with our husbands, we need to allow God to refine our role as a Christ follower. Our role as a wife. Our role as Christ’s bride. Let each of us submit to the the Lordship of God in our lives today and strive to learn what he is trying to teach us through everything that comes our way.

By Ijeoma Olujekun