by Danny B. Smith,Purple Ark Ministries

© Copyright Reserved  Edited April 30th 2009

Mothers Day Devotional Part 1

"Intimacy with God and Family"

Hosea 3:1 "The LORD said to me, "Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulterous. Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes." {2} so I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and about a homer and a lethek of barley. {3} Then I told her, "You are to live with me many days; you must not be a prostitute or be intimate with any man, and I will live with you."

I was once directed to become more intimate with God. I am still working on this today. I found it hard to declare more intimacy with my Creator. It is not intentional, but a painful reality that I did not experience very much love in my childhood. I discovered that the suffering in my past had left my heart in pieces. I have since prayed to become more intimate with God. I discovered after all my efforts to love Him; I needed to learn how to be intimate in my personal relationship with Him.

The question for all of us today is, have we given everything to God in trust? In our marriage, we sometimes do not talk about our suffering that is packed away and hidden from the public view. In our relationship with people the past can over shadow our growth and leave stains that become hard to clean. Although we quietly go through the motions, the character of this drama becomes a stranger to the stage. The lack of intimacy is infected by the fear of being exposed. The pain that we suppress can sometimes keep us from understanding the agape nature of love.

In the book of Hosea, the prophet is directed by God to go and love his adulteress wife again. It is hard to open a lock door when a heart has been broken.  People who have been scarred from their past have difficulty inviting God into their dark rooms.

As mother's day approaches, some of us will revisit our dark corners to embrace the suffering of a moment that is still hidden. In our intimacy with God we must invite Him to share our bitterness, our anger, frustration and all our secrets that it hurts to talk about.

The other side of the matter of intimacy is that when we don't give our suffering to God, it restrains us from comforting the pain of others. It leaves us hard and uncompromising. The fear of being transparent causes us to isolate from the ones we love. Today I ask the reader to come with me and lets pursue a greater intimacy with God.  Call that love one that you have not talked to.  Embrace the sister that doesn't believe she is loved.  Go and see the mother that aches to see her children.  Love the unloveable.  Forgive the unforgiveable. 

Prayer:  Dear Father in Heaven forgive us when we exclude you from the moment of bitterness and hurt. Help us to become more open and loving in your presence. Teach us how to love our family again. Teach us how to say I am sorry! Teach us how to ask for

forgiveness .  Teach us how to let go of the things that hold us back from you dear Father.  In Jesus name, Amen.

Pass This On

"Every week we have seven days to find one soul that doesn't know the love of God" Ask God to show that one soul that need to be found. Take the time to share the gift of love and fellowship. Allow your heart to embrace the suffering of others".

Send all comment to : dan@purpleark.org