There is a book in the Bible titled Hosea. Though small, it is powerful in metaphors and in messages! I encourage you to sit with this book and ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten your heart to the deep meanings embedded in the chapters.
The prophet Hosea lived in the northern kingdom of Israel. The people were greedy and had adopted the immoral behavior and worship of the gods of the surrounding Canaanites. Hosea was to show them how they had been unfaithful to God, and if they did not turn from their evil ways, judgment was coming.
While there are many powerful verses in this book, there is one that directly spoke to me.
“Therefore, I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her.” Hosea 2:14
God was promising to bring His people to the desert. Why the desert? It was a place where they could be removed from all distractions. They could hear what they needed to hear and see what they needed to see.
I have been in that desert. Perhaps you too know what it means to be removed from familiarity and placed in the desert of your life.
While living in the plains of New Mexico, my father passed away. I felt alone and questioned my purpose in life. One day, a life coach came on TV, and she began to talk about how she coached women with low self-esteem. I remember thinking, “I qualify” because I never had any self-esteem growing up. I enrolled in a coaching program and began to coach women in family drug court who taught me so much about life and living.
All of this is to say that God lured me to the desert where He could whisper tenderly to me. In the desert of your life, He will speak to you, lead, protect and guide you to become the person He has called you to be.
As you face trouble in this world, remember that God may bring you into a place of loneliness so that you can clearly hear His voice. He loves you. Stay in His will no matter where you find yourself. His will for you is perfect, and His plan is to one day bring you home.
“In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you may be where I am.” John 14: 2-3