Exploring Your GiftsSample

STUDY Hosea is one of the most shocking tales in all of Scripture: A prophet marries a whore. Despite his love and faithfulness to her, she cheats on him and returns to her life of prostitution. When she is shamefully offered up on the public auction block, God’s man buys her back. Read Hosea 1:1-3:5. The story is strikingly beautiful. Not just because of what it says about God’s people, but because of what it says about God. Despite being asked to do the unthinkable, Hosea never flinches at any point. From the altar, to the marriage bed, to the public square, to the auction block, Hosea’s love for Gomer was relentless and complete. But suppose Hosea said no. He certainly had a lot to risk. Thankfully, Hosea expresses trust in God’s leadership instead of disappointment. At every point, Hosea chooses trust over despair. We don’t know when Hosea assumed the role of prophet, or how long he was prophesying prior to marrying Gomer. But we can safely say that Hosea saw the need for reconciliation between sin-sick Israel and her God. God chose to deepen Hosea’s passion for reconciliation by having him live it. THOUGHTS FOR LEADERS Trusting God is actually more difficult than we might like to admit. We’ll heartily agree with God on what needs to get done, but we’ll rarely ask how He wants to use us. Many people trust God only as far as He validates their own plans and dreams. You might have some ideas about where you’ll serve and how your ministry might look. But if God leads you someplace outside of your plan, it might feel like a bait-and-switch. One of the greatest postures you can develop as an emerging leader is to trust in the midst of seemingly confusing circumstances. Cultivate the discipline of trust and an understanding of your passion will follow. QUESTIONS Mother Teresa once said, “I have never had clarity; what I have always had is trust.” Which do you find yourself expressing more consistently to God - your need for clarity (“what do I do?”) or your expression of trust (“I’ll follow you”)? Consider everything that Hosea stood to lose: his position, his sense of personal dignity, and the credibility of his ministry. What do you think allowed him to give those up? What would be the most unimaginable thing that God could ask of you?