As we shared with each other what we were sensing, while sipping our coffee, we were approached by two beautiful little girls, tiny arms full of roses and candies. No older than 7 or 8 years old, it is a common thing for children at this age to help their families by selling candy on the streets. Normally it's necessary to say, "I'm sorry. No thank you." There are just too many to give money to every one. But this night we just happened to have packages of chocolate cookies with us. As they looked at us with those sad, brown eyes, I handed the younger one a package of cookies. Hopefully they would experience the love of God through the simplicity of this gift.
This little girl took the cookies and then proceeded in her most pitiful voice to try to convince me to give the other girl a package as well. I told her that the cookies were to share and that there were enough for the two of them. But she continued to plead for more cookies. Lynda reached into her purse and pulled out two art pieces; one for each girl. We told them that we couldn't give them more cookies but we wanted them to have the art. God had something very special to say about each one of them. The other girl looked at her's and asked if she could switch for a different one. I handed the first girl a beautiful drawing of a heart that said, "All the love of heaven is over you, dear one." I looked straight into her eyes and told her how much God loves her. "You are His daughter. You are so beautiful to Him. You are a princess."
She did not want to hear any of that. She just wanted more cookies. Finally, in frustration she started to huff off. Before she left, she turned around, looked at the picture of the heart in her hand, ripped it down the middle and threw it back at us.
I felt like someone had just punched me in the gut. I could hardly believe what had just played right before our eyes. This tiny 7 year old had just rejected Love, wanting the pleasure of sweets instead.
In that moment, it was as if the Father lifted a veil from my eyes and showed me how He feels all the time. With that picture of the ripped heart lying on the table right in front of me, staring back at me with the utter brokenness of the situation, I knew that we were guilty of having done the exact same thing over and over and over again.
How often do we come to God, wanting the cookies instead of the love? We come for the benefits, the blessing, and He is so good to give us what we ask for. Yet when He offers us the greatest treasure of all, when He extends the free gift of His love, we tear it up and throw it back in His face.
Hosea 4:12
For the spirit of harlotry has caused
them to stray,
and they have played the harlot
against their God.
God asked Hosea to marry a prostitute. This would be the hardest thing he ever did. He would love her, give her beautiful things, woo her heart, marry her, have two children with her. And yet. And yet she would choose other lovers over his love for her. She would throw everything back in his face and reject his heart.
The spirit of harlotry fills our streets, our homes, our churches. It's the pervading theme of, "I want what you have, but I don't want you." It chooses the benefits over intimacy. It chooses profit over relationship. It makes God a business instead of a love affair. How have we fallen so far?
But after all that, after His very heart is abused, rejected and thrown back in His face, He continues to love us, He continue to pursue the on His heart desires.
Hosea 2:14, 16, 19, 20
Therefore, behold, I will allure her,
and bring her into the wilderness,
and speak tenderly to her.
And in that day, declares the Lord,
you will call me "My Husband"
and no longer will you call me "My Master."
And I will betroth you to Me forever.
I will betroth you to Me
in righteousness and justice,
in steadfast love and mercy.
I will betroth you to me in faithfulness.
And you shall know the Lord.
The other day I was on a run, twisting through back neighborhood roads, passing by fruit stands, breathing in the fumes of buses going by. Nothing new. But then, as I ran down the pavement, something in the gutter caught my eye. In the midst of the trash and filth that lined the road I saw a single red rose. At first I thought to just continue on my run. But then I saw person after person walking down the sidewalk, glance down at the lonely rose, and then pass on by. And the Holy Spirit stopped me.
Ellie, I never pass on by.
No matter used up, broken, filthy, and valueless we see ourselves, He never passes by. Again, I think of Hosea's wife. She was the rose, selling herself for temporary love, value, and beauty. But then she ended up in the gutter among the trash. Yet there is never an ounce of I-told-you-so inside of God's heart. Never does He say, "I offered you my love and you rejected it for another love. You lost your chance." Never! He always picks her up out of her filth and rescues her back into His love.
As I ponder all of this, I find myself responding for myself as well as on behalf of all those around me. Never do I want to reject the love of my Savior! Let me never choose another love over His love. And not only that, let me love like my God who says...
Hosea 11:8
How can I give you up...?
My heart churns within Me;
My sympathy is stirred.
Your heart is so beautiful. This made me cry.
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