Gold Diggers

Scripture: Hosea 2:7 – “She shall pursue her lovers but not overtake them, and she shall seek them but shall not find them. Then she shall say, ‘I will go and return to my first husband, for it was better with me then than now.’” (NRSVUE)

Are you faithful to God only when you need something? Is it easy to forget God in your quest to be rich and successful?

To answer these questions, I want to look at a story from the Book of Hosea. I don’t usually emphasize Hosea in church because its primary metaphor is “unseemly” for staid churches and might cause uncomfortable questions of from children. God tells Hosea to marry a woman known for, shall we say, her promiscuity and infidelity. This woman is a metaphor for Israel, who has essentially cheated on the Lord with other gods. However, as we read, this is not because of a wandering eye, but because of greed. She thinks her lovers will give her all the good things in life. She is essentially a “gold digger”, looking for “sugar daddies.” However, when they disappear, she decides to return to her husband.

Hosea believed Israel acted the same way. To enjoy the wealth of bountiful harvests of cash crops and other forms of economic success, they followed the ways of the world. This not only meant worshiping other gods like those of other nations but using the same cruel business practices that minimized the poor, widows, and orphans. But Hosea said it was not enough just to turn to God when things were bad, but to always be faithful.

Most of us don’t consider ourselves “gold diggers” when it comes to faith, but it is a fact that too many people only think about God when things go bad, when someone is stricken by life-threatening illnesses or financial disaster. These are the kinds of people who pray for As before taking a test they didn’t study for or the proverbial atheists in foxholes. But Hosea teaches us that faith is a covenant that we get the most from when we follow it.

I think it is the same way with us. The world says you can’t get what you want unless you play by its rules and ignore the nice things you learned about in church or kindergarten. But that is not real success. Eventually, the fun runs out and you go crawling back to God. But if we are loyal to God, we are reminded that the nicest things are those that don’t require engaging in selfish behavior to follow selfish people.

Today, make a list of all the things that you have that you have received from God. I bet that list will be long. Then spend your day loving God. Knowing that God will be with you in good times and bad will bring you joy a joy that no amount of gold digging ever could.

Prayer: God, help me be faithful to you. It might be fun to chase after success, but you have given me, and have been, all I ever need. Amen.