She will chase after her lovers but not catch them; she will look for them but not find them. Then she will say, 'I will go back to my husband as at first, for then I was better off than now.' – Hosea 2:7

Today's Scripture Reading (April 8, 2026): Hosea 2 & 3

I know that we all have bad days, but do you ever wonder how you got to that bad place? A while back, I heard a story from a friend who had just traveled through an airport afflicted with the disease of sprawl. And the solution at this airport was to run these mini subway cars between the various parts of the airport. So, my friend had to take one of these subways, and just before the subway doors closed, a horn sounded. And then this lighted sign turns on, saying, "Please step back." It is really not a big deal; another mini subway will arrive in about thirty seconds; these things run continually.

So, he was on the subway when the horn went off, and the sign came on. And there was this one genius who thought the meaning of the horn was the same as the color yellow at a stop light; it means to go faster. My friend hears the horn go off and watches as this brainy guy drags his ninety-year-old mother by the hand, with his brother following behind, toward the departing subway. As I mentioned, in about thirty seconds, a new one will arrive, and this guy will have lots of time to get his mother and his brother situated. But he doesn't want to wait the thirty seconds. As a result of his impatience, he drags Mama and jumps through the slowly closing door. There is only one problem with his plan: Mom can't make it. She is half in and half out of the subway with the door closed on her. This poor woman has one son tugging at her from the inside, with the other son pushing her from the outside, and my friend is having a nightmare about what is going to happen to the woman when the subway starts moving. And then one of the two sons makes this comment loud enough for those around them to hear. "Come on, Mama, get on the train. Why do these things always happen to us?"

Now, reality check – these things always happen to us because I have ignored all of the warning signs. I heard the horn, I saw the sign, but I am too special to follow those kinds of rules and wait the thirty seconds for the next train. The horn and the sign are placed there for no other purpose than to keep me safe; to make sure that things like this don't happen to me. But I decided to ignore them. These things likely keep happening because you keep ignoring the warning signs.

God is saying the exact same thing. I will allow things to happen in her life, not because I am angry, but because I know that life is better my way. I will provide them with the warning horns and the flashing signs so that maybe she, and God is talking about both Israel and Gomer, will come back to the ones who love her. God's purpose is never punishment; He is always chasing after us, hoping that we will turn once more to Him and to a better, safer way to live.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Hosea 4