Then the Lord said to me, “Go and love your wife again, even though she commits adultery with another lover. This will illustrate that the Lord still loves Israel, even though the people have turned to other gods and love to worship them.”

Hosea 3:1

We all have battles.  Sometimes we may want to give up.  Fear becomes too much.  His Word is where I go to get through.  There you find hope in the ones who have gone before us and we see where God was faithful over and over again. The story of Hosea and Gomer is a portrait of God’s faithfulness toward His people who go astray.

Hosea had a lot of knowledge that he probably wished he didn’t have.  See his wife, Gomer, had been unfaithful (to say the least).  Actually, she had sold herself into bondage and Hosea had to buy her out at a huge price.

So I bought her back for fifteen pieces of silver and five bushels of barley and a measure of wine.

Verse 2

Gomer did not love herself enough to believe that anyone else could love her. She didn’t think she was good enough to have a husband, especially one who loved her so much.  She eventually left him, believing a lie from the enemy that she wasn’t loved.  Hosea couldn’t have been really happy about the fact that she didn’t accept his love and trust.

Don’t you feel like you are looking at the face of God while you read this story? Don’t you hear Him saying to His people that no matter where they have been or how far they’ve gone away from Him, that He desperately wants them to return to Him?   Just like Hosea didn’t leave his wife in bondage, God never leaves us alone for too long in our desperate situation.

At that time I will plant a crop of Israelites and raise them for myself.  I will show love to those I called ‘not loved’.  And to those I called ‘not my people’, I will say, “Now you are my people, and they will reply, “You are our God!”

Hosea 2:23

Don’t we serve an amazing God?  There is no one in the world like Him. No one gives chance after chance.  No one will work so unceasingly hard to show us affection after affection.  God is God and I am not…His very name calls for us to bow down and worship Him for always loving us.  Even in our sinful nature, He understands and has mercy on us.  Patience and grace and unfailing love are ours and it’s unconditional.  We can’t do anything to make Him love us any more or any less.  And He uses our own shortcomings to quiet our souls.  He uses any means to take our worst decisions and turn them around for His glory and our good.

This I know for sure—there will be battles today.  Anxiety may creep in and we may have some tough times ahead.  BUT we will NOT be left in that place for long. God never leaves us even through our anger and fear, and repentance.  And when we hit our bottom, He gives us His hand that reaches us wherever we are and pulls us out.  He places our feet on a firm foundation.  He is faithful and true FOREVER and He will lead us through mountains and valleys and He will always take hold of our hand…Hosea’s and Gomer’s, mine and yours!

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Let us pray: Dear Lord, You are a loving God. You know us through and through, and You have an amazing plan for each one of us.  Thank You for Your grace and mercy that You so freely give.  And when we are going through the valley, You never let go of our hand.  And just like Hosea and Gomer, You give us chance after chance!  You, too, bought us with a huge price—the death of Your Son Jesus.  We will forever live with You because of Your sacrifice.  Help us Lord, to have the same love for each other.  And that we will go to any lengths to share the good news of You with all who will listen.  And if a friend has gone astray, we will never give up on them.  We love You and we praise You.  In Jesus’ name, amen.