A word from Max Lucado from his book The Great House of God: We avoid pain and seek peace. God uses pain to bring peace.

Hosea 14   6 His branches shall spread;
His beauty shall be like an olive tree,
And his fragrance like Lebanon.
Lebanon is a wooded mountain range on the northern border of Israel and my thoughts are wooded with olive trees. Olive trees are a staple, the giver of life-sustaining gifts to Israel. And to that we can add that Lebanon in the Hebrew language means to be white, to be made white, purity, to show whiteness, grow white.
Beautiful description of Jesus, isn’t it? And of us – as we ‘grow’, like Him, ‘become white’, ‘pure’ in Him. Oh! Yes! Lord Jesus spread Your Branches over me!!!
7 Those who dwell under his shadow shall return;
They shall be revived like grain,
You know the story of grain, don’t you? That it must fall to the ground and die in order to live and bring forth fruit. What better picture could we have of what we must do today if we are to ‘grow white’.
And grow like a vine.
Their scent shall be like the wine of Lebanon.
8 “ Ephraim shall say, ‘What have I to do anymore with idols?’
I have heard and observed him.
I am like a green cypress tree;
Your fruit is found in Me.”
What a STATEMENT! Now that I have HEARD His Voice, now that I have OBSERVED His Ways, how could I anymore bow to idols???!! How indeed!!
9 Who is wise?
Let him understand these things.
Who is prudent?
Let him know them.
Oh yes! We are ONLY wise and ONLY prudent when we ‘grow white’, when we nestle under the Shadow and Wing of the ALMIGHTY and LIVE THERE.
For the ways of the LORD are right;
The righteous walk in them,
But transgressors stumble in them.
See that?! His Ways ARE RIGHT, always. And we do well only when we walk and live and breathe in them. Amen. Make it so in us Lord!

And back to today; if you have few more minutes – a song.