⁴ The people have appointed kings without my consent,
    and princes without my approval.
By making idols for themselves from their silver and gold,
    they have brought about their own destruction.

⁵ “O Samaria, I reject this calf—
    this idol you have made.
My fury burns against you.
    How long will you be incapable of innocence?
⁶ This calf you worship, O Israel,
    was crafted by your own hands!
It is not God!
    Therefore, it must be smashed to bits.

⁷ “They have planted the wind
    and will harvest the whirlwind.
The stalks of grain wither
    and produce nothing to eat.
And even if there is any grain,
    foreigners will eat it.

Hosea 8:4-7

Dear God, when I read this and the words you were speaking through Hosea, it just occurred to me that you were expressing your pain. Your anger. Your frustration. But the first word I just used was the one that sits with me: pain. It is amazing to me that we can cause you pain. That you make yourself vulnerable enough to us that you would allow us enough space in your heart to cause you pain.

But I suppose that’s what love it. Love isn’t love if I don’t leave myself vulnerable to be hurt by the person I am loving. Even my dog. When we first got her as a stray from the shelter, she was terrified of me. She wouldn’t come to me voluntarily and, frankly, it hurt my feelings. I worked to earn her trust. I wanted to love her and give her a good home.

And so here you are. You love us and you try to show us that love. And sometimes we respond, but oftentimes we don’t. We go our own way. I’ve told people that it was seven weeks before our dog would come to me voluntarily. How many of us never come to you voluntarily. And in passages like this one that you gave to Hosea, you express how hurt you are by that. It’s incredible to consider.

Father, I never, never, never, want to be a source of your hurt or frustration. I know I hurt you sometimes. I know I frustrate you. But please know that I don’t want to. I love you. I’m grateful for you. I appreciate not just the little things you do, but also the essence of who you are. I appreciate how you do things. Some would say there is room for criticism, but I would counter that any other course of action on your part would have unintended consequences that none of us want. So I offer myself to you. I ask that you guide me into being your hands, feet, eyes, ears, and voice in this world. My life is yours.

I pray all of this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen