By: Debra Weiss
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
“I’m not going anywhere,” the actor on the screen says as he wraps his arms around the beautiful actress.
I sigh as the credits roll and reflect on the movie. It had been about a married couple.
The wife had a decades old affair with her husband’s business partner. After years of hiding her secret, the wife finally came clean. In spite of her infidelity, her husband took her back.
The plot reminded me of another book I’ve read, Hosea. In it, Hosea marries a woman that cheats on him repeatedly. God tells Hosea not to divorce his wife, but to take her back.
Hosea would have had every legal and moral right to divorce his wife. She not only left him but humiliated him! Imagine the way people whispered as Hosea walked into the grocery store he always shopped at. Or the way people looked at Hosea with pity in their eyes.
But Hosea took his wife back despite her sin. He loved her no matter what she had done. What Hosea did for his wife is a picture of what God does for us.
Hosea’s wife left him to do her own thing (and sometimes we do the same to God), but Hosea went searching for his bride. Hosea didn’t depend on his wife’s faithfulness to determine his faithfulness. In other words, Hosea didn’t say, “As long as she keep her vows, I’ll keep mine.”
Hosea said, “I’ll keep my vows regardless of what my wife does.”
Like Hosea, God goes searching for each of His daughters when they leave. Why? Because God is faithful to us even if we aren’t loyal to Him. He will love us even if we treat Him horribly, run away, or decide we don’t love Him.
When I think of God’s faithfulness, I think of what the man in the movie said, “I’m not going anywhere.”
Dear God, thank You for Your faithfulness. Thank You for being there for me even when I’m a mess. Thank You for Your grace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Share It
Have you left God to go after other things? Tell us about it by clicking here to comment.
Live It
Is there a Christian in your life who thinks that God won’t take them back? Encourage them with the words from 1 John 1:9.
“But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”
More About Debra
Debra Weiss is a freelance writer and speaker passionate about helping teen girls grow closer to God. Find out more about Debra at www.DebraWeiss.net.
