Hosea

Hey y'all.

Well....I started this entry last week sometime.....I just never finished.

Last weekend Jeremy came down for a few days, and we had a marvelous time. We did a lot of different things, but one fun thing we did was go to see the movie Fireproof. For those that haven't seen it, it's EXCELLENT. Definitely a low budget film, but the message is AMAZING. It's about a married couple, and their marriage issues.....and how they work through them, to God's glory.

After going to see the movie, it made me think a lot about how God acts toward us. Actually, a similar story is told in the Bible....you can find it in the book of Isaiah. I've been studying Hosea these last couple of weeks. I love this story. It's sad, it's frustrating at times, but it shows the incredible, unwavering, immense, steadfast love of God.

Hosea was a prophet during a time when Israel had turned COMPLETELY away from the Lord. They were worshiping idols....prostituting themselves with other gods. The Lord was furious. He had chosen Israel to be his bride, his people, his one and only, and she turned her back on him. Heartbreaking.

In the past I've read that story and it seemed like God was so mean! The things he says to/about Israel are terrible. A few years of life experience, a little more wisdom, and having a relationship of my own have made me realize that all that God did was out of love. Yes, he was angry....but he wasn't being vengeful. He loved Israel SO much, that he let her go her own way. He knew that by letting her go, she would see how terrible life without him was, and she would return. All the things that happened to Israel were out of his GREAT love for her. He knew that the best way to pursue her, was to let her go. Yet he never let her leave his hand...he still had complete control, he knew exactly how much he would allow until he would restore her. He wasn't done with her, he continued to love and look after her. Many years later, he sent his only son to die for her...it wasn't about anger, it was all about love.

God does that in our lives as well. Once you know the Lord, once you have truly tasted his goodness, you can't enjoy sin. Oh you may, for a time, but God loves us SO much that he doesn't allow us to enjoy our sin for long! Those temporary pleasures always turn sour, and we are driven back into his ever loving, ever open arms. What great love! It hurts him to see us run from him, but he knows that letting us taste life without him is the best way to bring us back.....so he let's us go.....out of his great love.....all the while eagerly awaiting our return.

That's a beautiful picture of how marriage should be. I think that's why I loved Fireproof so much. That's the kind of love that a husband should have for his wife....and vice versa. So many people jump ship when things get tough. True love "always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres, love NEVER fails."