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Isaiah 12:1-6
Isaiah 17:1-14
2 Chronicles 28:16-225
2 Kings 16:10-18
2 Kings 18:1-8
2 Chronicles 29:1-2
2 Kings 15:30-31
2 Kings 17:1-4
Hosea 1:1-2:13

Hosea 1:2-3, “When the Lord began to speak through Hosea, the Lord said to him, ‘Go, marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her, for like an adulterous wife this land is guilty of unfaithfulness to the Lord.’ So he married Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son…”

Think

There are some pretty crazy things in the Bible, and this story ranks right up there! God called Hosea to be His prophet, and then He told him to do something quite shocking — He told him to marry a prostitute! What?! Why would God do that? It was to send a message in a different way, one in which we could understand His hurt when we turn away from Him and His love that causes Him to pursue us. It was an immediate message to Israel and a timely reminder for us. The bottom line: God hurts, too. It hurts Him when we stray, when we “prostitute” ourselves to greedy self-ambition, moral relativism, and destructive patterns. Through Hosea’s pain, we see God’s pain. Even when Hosea’s wife, Gomer, left him to return to her former adulterous lifestyle, God wanted him to continue to pursue his wayward wife and guide her towards redemption.

But as we’ll continue to understand over the next few days, God, like Hosea, is our pursuing lover. He wants us to turn from our sinfulness and towards His righteousness. He wants to bring us into His loving arms and restore our lives, giving us the security of eternity in heaven. Whatever it is you may be chasing apart from God, realize that His way is best. Turn to Him and accept the unconditional, unfailing love of your Heavenly Father through the sacrificial death, burial, and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ!

Pray

Heavenly Father, Thank You for being my pursuing lover. How great are Your faithfulness and unconditional love! Forgive me when I stray from You – I know that it hurts You when I do. Guide me in Your path of righteousness. Amen.