Take a Ride with Me

When our cab arrived, we got in and closed the doors. Our driver, P, told us to not slam the doors. We apologized and told him where we were going. I asked him how his day was going and he said fine. He asked us why we were so quiet. We told him we were just settling in for the drive.

As we drove I started up a conversation with P; where was he from? Port Elizabeth. How long has he been in Jeffrey’s Bay? Since January, when his partner of 12 years, K, cheated on him again. P began sharing about his heart being broken because she had done this three times. They have two daughters, J and K together. P enjoys spending time together as a family and is hurt that K continues to reject him by having relationships with other men. (Note: Names have been shortened to the first letter to honor those in this story.)

P’s story of heart break reminded me of Hosea and Gomer, in the book of Hosea, in the Old Testament of the Bible. I asked P if he had heard of Hosea and Gomer and he said no. He doesn’t have time to read the Bible with his demanding cab driving. I showed him how he could listen to the Bible through the internet as he’s driving from job to job. He let me share the story of Hosea and Gomer with him. 

Hosea, a prophet, was told by God to marry Gomer. Gomer was working as a woman of the night, when Hosea and she met. Hosea and Gomer are married. Hosea continues to love and pursue Gomer as she leaves him to return to her former work, several times. Hosea’s friends don’t understand this match from the start and are not an encouragement to him as he continues to bring Gomer back home. Hosea shows his love by pursuing Gomer, not shaming her and caring for her. We learn about repentance, redemption and restoration in their story. 

I asked P if he was holding on to bitterness or unforgiveness towards K. If we hold onto things against someone else, they can become a prison for us. Living behind our walls and keeping the one who hurt us out and others who could hurt us out. We spent time praying with P about these things in his life. Reminding him that God wants to know P and his family, that P’s heart can be mended by the love of Jesus, that he’ll be able to forgive through Jesus. Would you keep P, K, J and K in prayer?

Do you know the saving power of God, now offered to us through His Son, Jesus? If so, as a redeemed child of God, have you offered “redemption” or forgiveness to those in your life who were once under your judgment? 

Not only does the book of Hosea provide an example of God’s love to a people who have left God behind, but it also shows us what forgiveness and restoration look like in a close relationship. The book of Hosea illustrates that no one is beyond the offer of our forgiveness because no one sits outside God’s offer of forgiveness. Certainly, God brings judgment on those who turn from Him, but Hosea’s powerful act of restoration within his own marriage set the bar high for those of us seeking godliness in our lives.