Head Scratcher — Hosea - Wednesday
Today’s Verse
Psalm 139:7
Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? (ESV)
In October of 2023 I had the opportunity to go to Japan on a mission trip. We spent the first four days of the trip in Tokyo. Because my sleep schedule was messed up, I was awake pretty early every morning. So I used that time to wander. I would grab my phone and just go explore.
I never really had a plan in mind, I would just walk and watch. I’d watch store owners getting their shops ready. I’d walk past restaurants that were getting ready for the day. I’d wander around for an hour or two, and then I’d check my location on my phone and figure out how to get back to my hotel.
In general, Tokyo is a pretty safe city, and I didn’t go anywhere that looked sketchy. But even though I was in a foreign city on the other side of the world, I never once was concerned about not knowing how to get back to my hotel. There was nowhere I could go where I would be out of GPS range. I knew that no matter where I ended up, I could trust that my phone would know where I was.
But why do we often doubt the almighty presence of God? How much more powerful is God than Google Maps? How often do we feel we have strayed too far? We’ve crossed some “magical” line where God isn’t. Whether you are sitting in your home reading the Bible or waking up after a night of bad choices, God is there.
The story of Hosea should remind you that no matter what you’ve done and no matter how far off course you’ve wandered, God will still find you. He will be there to pick you up and show you the way back to Him. His loving arms will be there to guide you, step by step, the whole way back.
REFLECTION
Go for a 15–30 minute walk this week—alone, without distractions—and use that time to pray or simply be aware of God’s presence. Whether you’re walking in your neighborhood, a park, or even just around your house, let that physical act remind you that there’s nowhere you can go that God won’t be with you.