July 7 – Reading 188

july 7 – Reading 188

by John Christian Pra | July 7

“THE HEART OF GOD FOR YOU AND I”
(Hosea 8:1-11:12)

“When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.” – Hosea 11:1

The book of Hosea is more provocative than any modern soap-opera you can find on television. Due to the strong language used throughout this prophet’s message, we rarely hear this story being told in our children’s classes. But revealed at the core of this book is the heart of God for those He calls His own.  

Throughout this book we’ve seen how God has a deep desire to draw near to His people, Israel, but how they constantly reject Him for lesser things. In this conflict, we see God going back and forth between how he should handle their adultery. Hosea becomes an earthly example of this spiritual reality. 

Now, most of us live as if after one failure, God is done with us. We believe our relationship with God is a rollercoaster based off of our performance. Today, He loves us because we did pretty well, but tomorrow He might leave me because I struggled in sin. However, Scripture never reveals God’s character in that way. Instead, as George M. Schwab Sr. says in his commentary on Hosea, “Like a jealous husband, Yahweh is portrayed as having conflicted thoughts. He wants to punish Israel, but he also tenderly wants to take her back.”

Our God is not waiting for our failure, He is waiting for our heart. Today, be reminded of the love of God for you even in your worst moments, and how He calls you back to Himself. In Hosea 11, God speaks about His people like they are His children: “Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk…” Instead of letting your failure drive you away from the loving presence of Jesus, let it bring you back to Him as you remember His great love and sacrifice that made this type of relationship possible. 

Reflections:

• What do you think God’s reaction is towards you in your moments of sin?
• What does Hosea teach you about the love of God towards us?
• How does God’s love for you change your attitude towards God?

Application: 

• Take time to remember the love of God that never stops pursuing you.
• Ask God if there are any idols in your life that are keeping you from living in His love.
• Display the love of God towards at least one person today (even if you feel they don’t deserve it).  

Closing Prayer…
Father, thank you for your steadfast, never-ending love for me. I recognize that I have constantly turned away from you and have set up idols in my life that could never satisfy me. Forgive me for walking away from you when all you’ve desired is to love me. I pray today I would draw nearer to you and recognize your love for me in a way that I have never experienced before. Holy Spirit, I pray you would pour the love of Jesus into my heart like you have promised you would. Amen.