Whores and hope.

Is that too shocking a title?
Maybe...
But Hosea is, in many ways, a shocking book.  First, there's the fact that Hosea is told to marry a prostitute and then go and fetch her back after she's run off with other blokes.
Then more shockingly, there's the revelation that this is just a picture of what God does for us.  "The love that was asked of him (Hosea) would be heroic - but that was the point, for it was to be God's love in miniature."
I really enjoyed this commentary.  It's pretty much in layman's terms - it doesn't dwell on the Greek or Hebrew (though explains bits where needed).  It's also written by someone who clearly loves Hosea (the book, not the bloke).  Obviously, this review kind of looks at the commentary, but also looks at Hosea itself!
There can't be many more powerful pictures of what God does for us.  This is an account of the sustained pursuit God makes, using both carrot and stick to draw His people back.  Kidner says, "...there is nothing arbitrary in His judgments, excessive though they will often seem to us, and as uninhibited as [they are]", but then points to, "the deep reluctance of God to resort to judgment".
He talks of compassion without compromise; the cycle of grace, disgrace, grace abounding; religion which permeates everything except the conscience

Of course, Hosea is not just the story of a man, nor the story of God and the Israelites - it is fundamentally our story too.  We benefit from the grace that abounds in the face of our disgrace.  We prostitute ourselves to the world and its meagre offerings, and yet are still gathered back to God by His judgment and grace.  He fiercely guards his glory, and therefore no compromise is made, and yet still he draws us back to Himself.
Verses like 11:8 are haunting in their revelation of God's heart - "How can I give you up, O Ephraim?  How can I hand you over, O Israel?"

I could say so much more, partly because I fell in love with Hosea itself as I read.  The call, of course, is not just to fall in love with God's message, but to fall in love with God.

A wonderful commentary, on a fabulous book.

Wasting Police Time.

As a book about the police, this is a book that is potentially close to my heart.
Is that possible?  Can something be potentially close to one's heart?  Who knows...
Anyway, it's an enjoyable read.  It's light hearted, not always politically correct (though claims to be factually correct for the most part) and very easy to read.  It's split into tiny chunks (what's a small chapter called?  A chap, perhaps?) so you can put it down and pick it up easily enough, with each chunk lasting about a page.
It's probably cynical, occasionally ascerbic and always interesting.  Coming from a background in teaching, it's easy to empathise with the frustration of not being able to do primarily what you 'joined up' for.  The author finds the mountain of paperwork that comes with even the most minor interaction largely pointless, and of course it serves to detract from actual policing.
As the guy who wrote it comes from Burton - just down the road from us - it's also fun to try to work out where he's referring to when he writes about various incidents.  (Names and places are changed for obvious reasons!)
I've seen some reviews of this book that criticise the 'constant moaning' aspect of it.  But then, if you're having to deal, day after day after day, with stuff that merely prevents you from doing what you actually want to do (and believe you should be doing) it's not surprising if you end up moaning a little about it!

Eyes turned skyward

Okay, so perhaps you've detected a link here between the last two books I've read.  Well, this one is another MAF book.  As such, it has the downside of nurturing the wanderlust in me.

However, I found this (like the last one!) a fabulously enjoyable read.  The stories are filled with adventure and excitement, but also grounded in the reality of a life lived in service of God.  There are, as you would expect, both triumphs and tragedies.  One chapter tells the story of Max and a friend's trip to a remote island to return a boy on the verge of death to his home.  It's a tale of the somewhat odd coupling of grief and gratitude.  An island people weighed down with their sorrow, yet thankful for the work of Max and his friend in returning their boy to them.

Many of the chapters conclude with a sort of 'thought' that brings the story back to God.  Maybe His provision, or His comfort, His power or His love.  Thus it is a book rooted in God, reflecting a life rooted in Him.

Meyers also tells of one Samberigi passenger on his first ever flight.

"'You no gat pret?' I asked him.  ('Aren't you afraid')

 ... 'skin bilong mi tasol i pret.'  ('Only my skin is afraid') ...

'What about the rest of you?' I asked again.  'What about under your skin?'

'I am not afraid under my skin,' he said.  'You see, I know the One who made the mountains.  I know the One who made the rocks and the trees.  I know the One who made the clouds and the rain for today.  He has told me that I don't need to be afraid.  Why?  Because He lives in me.  Inside my skin, and He has promised never to leave me.  Because of that, I am not afraid.'

The book is an amazing testimony to the work of MAF, to the dedication of those who serve through this mission, some of whom give their lives in the line of duty.  But above all, it's a testimony to God, who calls people to serve Him, and then journeys with them as they do so.

P.S.  Clicking on the picture of the book will take you to the MAF website.  They don't charge for the book, as such, but suggest a donation of £6.  I would suggest ordering copies through them, rather than elsewhere, as I suspect they get more if you do.  However, if you want an amazon link, (though as I write, they're not in stock) then click below.

Eyes Turned Skywards