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All my children are avid readers. My husband also enjoys a good book. Me, not so much. Sorry to disappoint some of you. I read a lot to study and enjoy learning, but I am not a fiction reader. Recently, I decided to read some books that the people I love the most enjoy, The Chronicles of Narnia. I remember reading The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe as a child but wanted to go through the whole series. I just finished The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. It might be my favorite of the series so far. I keep reading Chapter 7 over and over. In this chapter, Eustace Scrubb is a dragonish boy, transformed by a personal relationship with Aslan. There is a scene in the book where Aslan tears the dragon skin off Eustace and then washes him clean. This is a picture of God’s incredible saving grace. It reveals a God who always takes the initiative and relentlessly pursues His own. Immediately following this scene, a line in the book grabbed me. Eustace is recounting to Edmund his encounter with the Great Lion. Edmund tells Eustace it must have been Aslan. To which Eustace responds, “But who is Aslan? Do you know him?" “Well – he knows me,” Edmund says.
He knows me! And He loves me! This is the God we have encountered throughout our study of Hosea, and this truth should astound us. Our study this week of Hosea 11 will reveal His heart for us. Once again, we will see a God who intimately knows His people and loves them with an undying love. Tim Keller said, “To be loved but not known is comforting but superficial. To be known and not loved is our greatest fear. But to be fully known and truly loved is, well, a lot like being loved by God. It is what we need more than anything. It liberates us from pretense, humbles us out of our self-righteousness, and fortifies us for any difficulty life can throw at us.” It is my prayer that our study will give us a deeper understanding of what it means to be loved this way and that we will live amazed, fully committed to the One who is fully committed to us.
What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul
What wondrous love is this, O my soul!
Praying for you,
Paula
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