Lo-Ruhamah

Lo-Ruhamah was the second child of Gomer, the adulterous wife of Hosea. Her name sent a message, "I will no longer show love to the house of Israel, that I should at all forgive them."

First God caused Gomer to become naked and bare, then stripped her vines, wine and oil because she hadn't acknowledged Him as the source of her provision and was pursuing other "lovers."

But then He turns like a dime in anguish and decides to allure her into the desert to speak tenderly to her. There she will get her vineyards back and come back to the true lover of her soul. Then after all she goes through in the desert and as she is forced to quit running, He makes her valley of trouble a door of hope for her future and for others who hear her story. By the end of the story the "Lo" has been dropped from the name of Ruhamah, which now meant I will again show love and compassion to this people. "Lo-Ruhamah was one who had been pitied but obtained mercy."

Have you ever been through so much and your circumstances look so bad that people have pitied you? Our God is a merciful God-I only have to remind myself of this story and know I'm about to obtain mercy and claim that I am being restored and betrothed in faithfulness.

Redemptive Pattern

God is a redemptive God. He wants to use our mistakes and hardships. In fact He plans to use every pain for gain and a redeeming lesson for another. Keep in mind we aren't just going through something for our own benefit and lesson but for many others that are "traveling" our way and need our lifesaving advice and comfort. So when we feel the sentence of death in our hearts, remember it is only to help us not rely on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. (2 Cor. 1:9)

We are all preparing the way for Him to come more powerfully in our own lives and those we touch. We must believe that our boundary lines have fallen in pleasant places despite our discomfort and that surely we have a delightful inheritance! (Ps. 16:6)