The Preacher and The Prostitute: A Story of Grace

      God is love.  God is the God of the second chance.  We know this and believe it yet practicing it can be tough.        

      Yet, in the book of Hosea we find an example of this love. The Bible says that God told a prophet named Hosea to go and marry a prostitute named Gomer. Yeah, you read that right; a Preacher marrying a prostitute.  I'm guessing tongues were wagging. :)    

      So, Hosea marries Gomer and God tells Hosea to do this to demonstrate his love for Israel. Then, Gomer leaves him...just like everyone thought she would.  Ok..no more chances, right? Nope..God tells Hosea to marry her AGAIN.        "Then the Lord said to me, “Go and love your wife again, even though she commits adultery with another lover."      

      So, even though Gomer has been unfaithful, she gets another shot.          Why does God do this? It is to demonstrate His love for Israel. Even though Israel had been unfaithful, God still loved her. This applies to us as well.       

      God loves us even when we mess up AND....God loves others.  So, when people slip...when people make mistakes...God loves them and wants us to love them as well.        

      You may have slipped up in life...made some mistakes...ok...acknowledge the mistake, confess it to The Lord and He will forgive.  Then, grant that same grace to others.        

      Randy Travis sings a song entitled "Three Wooden Crosses." The song tell of a wreck involving a bus and an 18 wheeler. The bus was carrying a farmer, teacher, hooker & a preacher.  The farmer, teacher & preacher die in the accident.  The hooker lives and later gives birth to a son who becomes a Minister.        

      Some of the lyrics are;     

      "An' that preacher whispered: "Can't you see the Promised Land?"     

       As he laid his blood-stained bible in that hooker's hand.
        There are three wooden crosses on the right side of the highway,   

       Why there's not four of them, Heaven only knows.       

       I guess it's not what you take when you leave this world behind you,  

       It's what you leave behind you when you go."

       That's the story that our preacher told last Sunday. 

       As he held that blood-stained bible up,     

       For all of us to see. 

       He said: "Bless the farmer, and the teacher, an' the preacher" 

       "Who gave this Bible to my mamma,   

        "Who read it to me."

       God loves us all..regardless of our past.