THE OWNER

⁹ “Therefore I will take away my grain when it ripens, and my new wine when it is ready…

Hosea 2:9a (NIV)

I can picture God’s people looking outside toward the fields anticipating the day the grain was ready.  They had thoughts of bread, cakes, and pastries.  All the amazing things they’d make with all that grain.  They thought of the money they’d make selling it.  They had plans.

I can picture them sitting at the dinner table.  The food is set.  They’re waiting for some of that new wine.  They can already taste it.  They can imagine it on their pallet and smoothly going down.  Maybe they were thirsty.  Maybe they needed something to wash down what they were eating.  They had plans.

But here’s the problem, when the grain ripens, when wine time has come, when the plans are ready to become a reality there’s no grain and there is no wine.  Why?  Where did it go?  Who took it?  It was the Owner.  There is a key word in today’s verse.  Look at it.  It’s there twice.  It’s the word “my.”  You can’t treat the Owner of the grain and the new wine poorly and expect the grain and new wine to stick around.  You can’t say, “God, You need to go but your grain and new wine can stay.”  He’ll think you’re crazy.

We may never say that: “God, you go.  Leave the grain and wine.”  But our actions may say it.  We can live in a way that pushes God away and then just expect His provisions to be there when we want them.

Questions to consider:

How has God been treating you?

How have you been treating God?

God wants a relationship with you.  What does a relationship with God look like?

How can you draw nearer to God today?