Head Scratcher — Hosea - Thursday
Today’s Verse
Romans 8:38-39
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (ESV)
A few weeks ago, my wife and I celebrated our 24th anniversary. We’ve had a really good marriage, but it hasn’t been without its challenges. But through it all, I can honestly say that my love for her is much, much deeper now than it was 24 years ago. (And it’s light years beyond where it was 27 years ago when we first met.)
If I look back to when I met Arianne, I can say very honestly that my feelings for her looked much different. I liked her because she made me feel good about myself. I liked her because she was pretty and because she was interesting to talk to. I liked her because of her sweet personality. You could even say my feelings towards her were “conditional.” I liked her because of ______.
But when you look at our love for each other now, we simply love each other. We know everything there is to know about each other. We know each other’s flaws and nuances. We know which things annoy each other. And in spite of those things, we love each other. I love Arianne because I have chosen to love her. Yes, she still makes me feel special, but that’s not why I love her. I love her because I have chosen to love her.
Hosea is a picture of that “unconditional” love to the extreme. He chose to love Gomer, and in spite of her choices, he continued to love her. When she ran into the arms of other men, he still chose to love her. When she ran from him, he ran towards her. When she ran headlong into trouble, he cared for her. In spite of everything, Hosea loved Gomer.
And that’s the love God has for you and me. He loves you because He has decided to love you. No matter how far you run, no matter how hard you try, no matter how hard you fight, you cannot get to the point where God’s love ends. He knows everything about you. He knows every deep, dark secret. He knows every sin you’ve committed. He knows every time you’ve ignored His word. Yet…his love is unconditional, and he loves you in spite of everything. He loves you because He has chosen to love you. And there’s nothing you can do to change that.
REFLECTION
Pray this with me today:
Thank You, Lord, for loving me even when I mess up. Your love isn’t based on what I do—it's based on who You are. Help me rest in that truth today and love others the same way. Amen.