It’s not an assignment any of us would have wanted from God – but it’s the one He gave Hosea: “Go, take to yourself a wife of harlotry, and have children of harlotry, for the land commits flagrant harlotry, forsaking the Lord.”  (Hosea 1:2b)  Hosea knew right off that he was to have a difficult ministry: he was purposefully to take a wife whom he knew in advance would be unfaithful to him, and who would have children who would not be his – in order to be a “sign” of sorts to the people of Israel about the way that they had been unfaithful to God.  Talk about a hard ministry; Hosea had it! 

This does remind us, though, of some important things that I think that we, in our very self-centered generation, often overlook: and that is that it is not all about us, and it is not all about this present world!  To most people today, religion is to help US; everything should be about making US happy, about giving US the best life, and the best marriage, and the best family, and the best happiness, right here on earth, right now.  One of the best-selling religious books in recent history was Joel Osteen’s “Your Best Life Now.”   But here God gave Hosea a ministry in which he was guaranteed NOT to have his “best life now.”  Basically Hosea was to sacrifice what might have been his dreams of a “happy marriage and family” for the ministry that God gave him – so that his onerous family situation might serve as a symbol of Israel’s relationship with God.  God would use Hosea’s situation, through His word, to speak to and benefit multiplied millions of people, down to us today.  But God called Hosea to make a great sacrifice in order for that to happen.  I think it is significant that God’s plan was not all about Hosea’s own personal happiness right then.  He had something bigger, and more eternal, in mind. 

Now, let me clarify: I DO believe that Hosea’s was a special case. God does not typically call people to do what He asked of Hosea (thank goodness!).  But it IS a reminder to us: that everything in God’s plan is not about us, and our own momentary happiness; it is not all about giving us our “best life now”.  What we should be looking for is not just what makes us feel better or more comfortable here on earth, but what best glorifies God and advances His kingdom for eternity.  They are not always the same thing.  Sometimes God’s plan – like in Hosea’s case – involves personal pain and cost to us.  And like Hosea, we should be willing to give God whatever He asks us, knowing that our obedience will lead to the spread of His kingdom and glory on earth. 

But what about us?  What about our “best life now”?  What of those who give up personal comfort or feelings or plans or dreams for what God asks them to do instead?  What happens to the Hosea’s?  We might be tempted to feel sorry for them — but in reality we should not.  Richard Baxter writes in his Christian Directory: “… if man be bound to spend his life in the service of his God, it is certain that he shall be no loser by Him, no, not by the costliest obedience that we can perform; for God … will see that we lose not by His service.  Therefore that God for whom we must spend and forsake this life, and all those pleasures … hath certainly some greater thing to give us in another life.”  (“Christian Ethics”, Chapter 1, p. 10)

“Some greater thing to give us in another life”?  Now there’s an idea we don’t hear much about these days: delayed gratification.  Earthly pain for heavenly gain.  Selfless actions for the advance of the Kingdom.  Costly obedience for an even greater reward.   The truth is, if we could see Hosea’s reward for his faithfulness to the unsavory assignment he was given , we would not feel sorry for him — and we would be far more ready to accept similar temporary hardships for the Kingdom.  This is what we must “see” with the eyes of faith: it’s not all about US, and it is not all about NOW.  For those who will hear and obey God, there is “certainly some greater thing” ahead: “Your Best Life … Later”!