Lost Potential

Hosea 9:10, 17: "'When I found Israel, it was like finding grapes in the desert; when I saw your fathers, it was like seeing the early fruit on the fig tree. But when they came to Baal Peor, they consecrated themselves to that shameful idol and became as vile as the thing they loved' (said the Lord) . . . . My God will reject them because they have not obeyed him; they will be wanderers among the nations"



Finding a productive grapevine or a fruit bearing fig tree in the desert is like finding a precious treasure in a most unlikely place. Such a find is not only unexpected but exhilarating to its finder; for with the discovery is the joy of transformation that has occurred in the tree for the benefit of its harvester.

In the passage above, God seems to be the finder, saying of the Israelites that He found hope in their early fruit of obedience. Specifically, God recounts the Israelite fathers, who seem to be showing the evidence of a yielded heart to Him and were therefore comparable to the unexpected find of early fruit in a dry, barren desert. As God narrates this metaphor, one can picture a person traveling through the desert without expectation of finding fruit . . . only to rejoice in this discovery in an otherwise desolate place.



Yet, the early fruit of Israel seems to die in the sweltering heat of sinful rebellion. Whereas the Israelites showed the hope of obedience, they cut off the nourishing sap of righteousness through their pursuit of the "vile things that they loved." As quickly as the promising fruit arose in the arid place, it dried up leaving no evidence of transformation. It was no longer noticeably distinct from its surroundings and lost its blessedness to itself and to others. Although it showed hope of abundant fruit, it would be scorned for its loss of potential.



We would do well to reflect upon this account of the Israelites in the book of Hosea. These Israelites chose to do things their own way, to satisfy their own lusts/desires. With all of their potential that they had to fulfill God's calling for their lives, they forsook the opportunity and failed miserably. God, in turn, would bring judgment upon the people for their rebellion, and their punishment would lead them into captivity to a pagan enemy for many years (9:17).



We are blessed to have such potential to respond to the Lord's calling in our lives. As God initiates our salvation and our path of righteousness, we can blossom for His glory through our responsive obedience and surrender. Our yielded spirit is offered back to God as an offering for His goodness to us, and He delights in the savory fruit of our submission.

Although our surroundings look rather dismal, we do not have to follow the way of the barren desert around us. Let us rather press on to be all that we can be for God and His kingdom. God's initiatory power and our responsive allegiance to Him will make our fruit noticeably evident in a desolate world.