Friday 9 May 2014

May 9: Hosea 3:1-5

Key Verse: Hosea 3:5
Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God and David their king. They shall fear the Lord and His goodness in the latter days.

Devotion:
I’m not sure what Hosea must have thought when he heard this word from God, but he listened and he obeyed. This was to be an example for the rest of Israel to look to and to realise that God is faithful, forgiving and always there. We may find it hard to be as forgiving as He is, especially when it comes to relationships and the like; but that is exactly what God wants us to think about.

It really is amazing that God is willing to tell us up front that He will forgive us, then watch us go astray in such terrible and unthankful ways, and then to turn round and stand up to His promise to forgive us! But that is exactly what it is, a promise to forgive, and one that He will keep if we are willing to come back to Him.

The woman had to turn round and come back with a willing heart, trusting the forgiveness to be total and forever so they could live out the lives together. We have to trust God that His forgiveness is forever and absolute as well, but we have to have faith in that promise. If we come back with doubts and fears then we are not fully trusting God. If this woman had come back without full trust then I’m sure the relationship would have broken down again – but it did not.

God is not looking to be a judge who will come in to pronounce us guilty and have us sent down, He comes forward to try and turn us around before we condemn ourselves to the pit. God wants us to stop what we are doing and turn back to His ways and His instruction. That way we will be able to live in forgiveness as He has promised it to us.

It may be hard for us to come back and admit to all we have done or are doing wrong, but that is what is required of us – to take that first step and come forward. He has promised us already, we just need to accept that promise!

Points to Ponder:
Do you think you have gone too far?

Have you asked for forgiveness?