ROAR
Today's reading: Hosea 10-12

"For someday the people will follow the Lord. I will roar like a lion, and my people will return trembling from the west. Like a flock of birds, they will come from Egypt. Flying like doves, they will return from Assyria. And I will bring them back home again." Hosea 11:10-11 NLT

Roar-to utter or emit a full loud prolonged sound; to sing or shout with full force.

The entire book of Hosea is about returning to the Lord.

Not just in body, like one would just attend church, but in spirit, having a heart full of worship.

Here's the problem...

It sometimes takes God's 'roar' to get us back, because we disregard His still, small voice.

It's true, isn't it?

An emergency causes us to call out to the God we had previously ignored?

A health scare drops us to our knees before the Creator we had little time for prior?

A life change leaves us grasping for the Father we had previously sought out only at Christmas and Easter?

A need we cannot handle on our own causes us to go to the One who can?

A heartbreak brings us face-to-face with a need only the Great Physician can heal?

Desperation? Fear? Helplessness? Confusion? Doubt?

It's in those times, those times when the roaring is filling our ears, that we realize we had pushed God aside. We had put other things ahead of Him. We had saved Him for tougher times. We had turned our backs on Him.

Let's not do that anymore!

Let's lean in to hear Him whisper.

Let's place God back into the most important time slot.

Let's allow Him to lead us gently with His Word, His ways and His love--so He doesn't have to roar!