Being a Gomer?

When I found myself and America reliving the book of Hosea, I of course wanted to see myself with the insight of the prophet; as do so many right now.  There are areas in which I can fully sound the warning, and then there are areas in which I am the warning.  

There are so many spiritual children right now, offering insight that I thought I'd offer a reminder and ask a few questions that I have been mulling over myself this week.  I'm guessing, unless we've just gone on over and crossed the line of hypocrite, we can all find areas of our life in which we have indeed been a Gomer and perhaps still are.  We need to keep in mind that Moses spent eighty years preparing to lead the children of Israel, and Paul makes reference to 14 years . . . Messiah came with all the credentials and he was 30 years old before his words of teaching are recorded.

I believe YHWH is timeless, therefore He can certainly use new believers as well as those who have walked away from tradition, but a great deal of our disunity seems to be in everyone trying to be an expert in all areas.  So many of us still have areas of immaturity and mixing holy with profane.  I've shared not only the admonition, but the confessions in my own life.  Nine times out of ten, we choose to overlook our own mixes while shouting the call to repentance over others.  This article is going to get serious, yet basic, about our own mix of holy with profane.

I grew up in a time in which it was so easy to put G-d, country, family, and work, basically all on the same level.  Even leisure time was often sponsored by church or synagogue.  That's the same thing Israel had done through the days of Hosea.  The assumption of being G-d's chosen meant anything they chose to do was justifiable.  In America, "one nation under G-d," seems to have inspired the same rationalization.  I was born 4 years after Congress added "under God" approximately 60 years after the Baptist minister, Francis Bellamy first penned it.  So, even the argument about the line itself, seems odd . . .

How does our time and money figure into our teaching.  It's so easy to point a finger at the upcoming secular holidays, but what are any of us doing to feed the poor and clothe the naked?  Knowing and acknowledging that YHWH is our Provider is absolute truth and brings Him glory, but if our relationship with our Creator is all about what He does for us, we just might be a Gomer.  How does our free time or even our work schedule balance out with a time tithe?  I realize employment opportunities are scarce right now, so I'm not talking about the days involved in a 40 hour work week, but more I'm asking, how do we structure our free time?  Do we spend more than 2.4 hours in front of the entertainment screen?  If so, we might be a Gomer?

Does our language erode in the company of certain others?  We might be a Gomer.  Of course, judgmental piety doesn't win others, either, but that's a topic for another time.  Does our style of dress change according to the company we're keeping?  That probably isn't an issue for us over 40 group, as far as provocative in nature, but I know in my own life, I've prayed about fellowship here at the homestead.  I always dress modestly, but here at home, I'm often too casual.  The truth of the matter is, I could be gardening Eden style before the forbidden fruit and no one could see me, but I don't . . . The fact is, though, often I am fully covered but under dressed for a community gathering, and immediately I hear, "then dress ready to be seen."  As for my interesting chore ensembles  . . . I've been a Gomer.

Gomer is historically known for her unfaithfulness and the example of Israel's spiritual adultery.  Basically being a Gomer, is placing our own comfort, activity, or company above or along side of what YHWH has ordained.

As for faithfulness, I'll get more into that next week, but for now . . . We know we can trust YHWH and Y'hshuwah, so I'll simply ask, can we truly be trusted, by our Heavenly Father and those He places in our life?

 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify G-d in your body, and in your spirit, which are G-d's.