Have you read the book of Hosea? Well if not, here is a quick break down. God basically calls Hosea to marry and have children by a harlot who is not going to be faithful to him. I'm not going to lie, if the Lord called me to say yes to the proposal of a man who I knew was in that type of "business", my name should just be changed to Jonah, because I would out. However, God uses this situation to give us a deeper understanding of His relationship with the children of Israel...and if we are being honest, ourselves. He calls Hosea to chase after her, to pursue her, to love her and to bring her the things that she needs, even though she is being unfaithful to him and their commitment to each other. It is so humbling that our God does the same thing for us. In spite of ourselves, our lack of commitment and our faithlessness, our God does not change who He is. For that I am thankful.
In chapter nine verse 1, God is speaking to Israel and He says, "For you have played the harlot against your God. You have made love for hire on every threshing floor." How's that for a visual? Then He goes on in 11:3 showing His nature towards us, "I taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by their arms, but they did not know that I healed them. I drew them with gentle cords, with bands of love, and I was to them as those who take the yoke from their neck. I stooped and I feed them." The reality is that we play the harlot with the Lord all of time, whether we realize it or not. When we place things in our life in the place that only He should inhabit, when we seek out other things before we seek Him, or even when we fervently search for satisfaction in everything else around us except for Him, the only one who can truly satisfy. While the whole book of Hosea is a heart-checker to say the least, its the ending that really hits it home for me.
Hosea 14:4 says, "I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, for my anger has turned away from him." I will love them freely. Freely? You mean even after all of that, Lord? Even after all of my unfaithfulness and my lack of commitment? After all of the times I have ignored You, putting everything else before you? After the times when I felt that You were pursuing me to sit at Your feet and I told you later, which never came? You mean even in the times where I find myself clinging to my desires, problems, worries and hurts more than I cling to You? Even when I put my hope in things that will never stand when You are standing right beside me beckoning me to put all of my hope in You? Even after all of that, He still loves us freely. His love is not conditional, it is not changing and it is not because of who we are, but who He is. Speechless.
I can not begin to understand the depth of His love for me because my human heart is totally the opposite. My love can be conditional, I can put up walls in hopes of protecting myself, I can withhold my love. But God can't, He won't. He can't love you anymore than He loves you right now. He loves you freely. Yup, freely. Don't ever doubt it.
