For years, almost as
long as I have had children, I have prayed "Thorn Hedge" prayers
over my family. I've mentioned this before and been asked what is a hedge of thorns? I learned about thorn hedges, at least by name, when I first really read the book of Hosea. God called Hosea to do a really hard thing, to marry a prostitute and love her in order to see God's heart for Israel and Israel's unfaithful heart for Him. Hosea did marry Gomer. He brought her out of shame into love and blessing. He made her a mother, gave her “respectability” but time and again Gomer returned to her sin and shame. Finally God said He would place a "hedge of thorns" in her way so that she would always be frustrated and turned back to the home and heart of her husband.
Thorn hedges are dual purposed. They do turn us back from the wrong paths and sinful behaviors. They also frustrate and discourage wrong influences and people who would lead us astray from God's blessing and relationship. I learned from a friend to pray over my children when they were young, that if they did something wrong they would be found out quickly. Believing my daughter probably needed this prayer more than my son, I concentrated it mostly in her direction. I found out years later that my son was pretty sneaky and had fooled me more than once. Note to self.....hedge of thorns for all. We all need Him to, as we so often pray, "lead, guide and direct us." We rarely consider the thorns that may be necessary in His answer to that request.
God has spoken to me many times about necessary thorn hedges in my life. Even before I knew what to call them, He was building them around me. There were thorn hedges that turned me from destructive relationships. There were thorn hedges that taught me about putting too much stock in material things and thorn hedges that punctured my over blown pride so that I could hear Him singing over me. God has been good all the time.
over my family. I've mentioned this before and been asked what is a hedge of thorns? I learned about thorn hedges, at least by name, when I first really read the book of Hosea. God called Hosea to do a really hard thing, to marry a prostitute and love her in order to see God's heart for Israel and Israel's unfaithful heart for Him. Hosea did marry Gomer. He brought her out of shame into love and blessing. He made her a mother, gave her “respectability” but time and again Gomer returned to her sin and shame. Finally God said He would place a "hedge of thorns" in her way so that she would always be frustrated and turned back to the home and heart of her husband.
Thorn hedges are dual purposed. They do turn us back from the wrong paths and sinful behaviors. They also frustrate and discourage wrong influences and people who would lead us astray from God's blessing and relationship. I learned from a friend to pray over my children when they were young, that if they did something wrong they would be found out quickly. Believing my daughter probably needed this prayer more than my son, I concentrated it mostly in her direction. I found out years later that my son was pretty sneaky and had fooled me more than once. Note to self.....hedge of thorns for all. We all need Him to, as we so often pray, "lead, guide and direct us." We rarely consider the thorns that may be necessary in His answer to that request.
God has spoken to me many times about necessary thorn hedges in my life. Even before I knew what to call them, He was building them around me. There were thorn hedges that turned me from destructive relationships. There were thorn hedges that taught me about putting too much stock in material things and thorn hedges that punctured my over blown pride so that I could hear Him singing over me. God has been good all the time.
Thorn hedges are not
pleasant to encounter but I believe that sometimes, as they were for Gomer, as
they have been for me, the thorns and the wounds they may inflict are very
necessary for abundant life. Let's face it, the bible tells us that the heart is above all things deceitful and desperately wicked. We wander from God; we
want our own way and try to force it. Whatever the issue, like Gomer, we
often forget what God has done for us and backslide and return to the mess and
the shame. God doesn't put up the hedges to hurt us; He puts them in our
way to save us from ourselves. Frustration and sorrow always eventually lead me to
the place where I know I belong; His side. As a mom, a daughter, a wife, a
sister, a friend, a grandmother, I will pray for those hedges gently and
without malice over loved ones who may need them. I will pray for them in
my own life as well. In the end Gomer learned that there is
blessing in the thorns. I love Hosea 2:15, “I will return her vineyards
to her and transform the Valley of Trouble into a gateway of hope.” Because our God is good all the time, we should remember not to despise the thorns but rather look for the
gateway of hope in the Valley of Trouble.
R'
R'
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