God is NOT the great kill-joy...nor do I even need to defend Him or His Godness

Hosea 6:1-3

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

Hosea 6

Israel Unrepentant

¹ “Come, let us return to the LORD.
He has torn us to pieces
but he will heal us;
he has injured us
but he will bind up our wounds.
² After two days he will revive us;
on the third day he will restore us,
that we may live in his presence.
³ Let us acknowledge the LORD;
let us press on to acknowledge him.
As surely as the sun rises,
he will appear;
he will come to us like the winter rains,
like the spring rains that water the earth.”


Over the years I have had more conversations about why "so and so" wants nothing to do with Jesus. Normally, almost every time, it is because they have the idea that Jesus is the great killjoy and that life in Christ is all about what you can't do as if we who are in Christ are all martyrs when it comes to any kind of pure joy or fun. There are some things that we just plain need to stay away from and I am not denying that because the bottom line is that just because something is permissible doesn't mean it is beneficial.

1 Corinthians 10:23The Believer’s Freedom ²³ “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is constructive.

Case in point: I come from a long line of addiction in my family. I am the type that would go buck wild in Chuck e Cheese for goodness sake...trying to win tickets for some prize that is worth 2 cents. So, I know that there is NO WAY my tail should ever be in a casino if I can't play skeet ball without losing my witness. It just makes me sad that so many people have seen so much hypocrisy that they want NOTHING to do with the faith. We live in a fallen world and we all struggle in many ways. It grieves me that I am sure I have been a stumbling block by my own sin. I certainly don't want to turn others away from Christ by my witness. However, we can't focus on people and what they do or don't do, while I am not discounting the importance of our actions or consequences to our sins. I am thankful for the words of psalm 130 and that if the Lord kept a record of sins NONE of us could stand...but with Him there is forgiveness therefore He is feared and we have to put our hope in that. This morning Morgan and I were getting ready for church and we were late because as we were getting ready we with hair brushes in hand, and our praise music blaring, were dancing away in the bathroom getting our praise on. I couldn't help but hope that Blair will be joining in during the years to come. I want to raise these babies up to know Him and to know that while blessing comes from obedience and that God tells us No to some things because He is God and He knows the affects sin has on us and in essence how harmful some things are...that there are some clear Yes's in Christ. There is joy and abundance to be had. I want them to know that while He is completely other and holy that He is also fun! I want us to be able to dance before Him like David did!

As Israel was unfaithful to the Lord and grumbled and rebelled against Him we to can fall into that rut and join in with the rabble in our own wilderness or wastelands spiritually speaking. We all go through desolate times where we feel like we are wanderers in an endless dry desert where there is no water to be found. Yet let us return to the Lord no matter the time that has gone by. Let us let Him redeem the time lost because He will. He wants to. He is a God of full redemption and let us dance in the dry desert even when we feel our strength is gone until He opens our eyes to a well springing up before us and we too like Hagar come to know El Roi, the God who sees me and sees you. I desperately need to know that He sees me. That He is so personal and tender with me and that He loves me and you in such an indescribable way. He is worthy of our affection and our lives. To miss Him is to miss everything.

He is life. So break out your hairbrush why don't you and sing before the Lord and dance. Even if you were raised baptist where you weren't supposed to dance. If this white girl can do it...so can you! LOL