I am Gomer.

For most of my life, I've tagged a really big lie on to a really big truth. Jesus died for sinners, but I am not a sinner. Jesus bore the shame of man, but only the really bad guys, not me. It's a lot easier to look down at a big group of sinners, smile, shake my hand, and think "man, Jesus, you really did a nice thing for those people" than to find myself among them, surrounded by brokenness, crying "thank you, Jesus" on my knees.Lately, the book of Hosea is smack dab in the middle of that crowd of sinners.God comes to Hosea, a prophet, and tells him to marry a harlot, to take the woman with the least virtue and the least dignity and make her his wife. Her name was Gomer.Throughout their marriage, Gomer remains unfaithful, yet Hosea's love for her remains. She even has two children with two other men. Yet, Hosea's love remains faithful. Near the end of the book, Hosea goes looking for his wife, only to find that she has sold herself in prostitution. Then, Hosea steps up and gives all the money that he has for her, asking her to promise to live faithful to him for the end of her days.The story is so relevant to me in the rawest, purest, most honest way.We are the children of a God who grits his teeth, balls his fists, and fights for us, fights for me, every day. I cheat on the love of God everyday when I fall  back on sin, but He still chases me. When temptation creeps in and I am on the verge of selling myself to it, He will shout my name at the top of his lungs. When the the lies of the world become my truth, he will bargain with all he has to win my heart back. When I have strayed, chasing something that sparkles more and satisfies me deeper, he will pay any price and go to any length to swoop me up and take me home.Friends, I am Gomer. You are Gomer. Every single one of us is Gomer. I am not exempt from the promise of the cross. Like Gomer's my sin is real and evident and pulls me away from the never ended love of God. But when Jesus died, that sin was cast away, and I become God's bride once again.words by Kate Payne and photo by Cate WillisSaveSave