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Posted by
Dion Todd January 15, 2017 -
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Devotional
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Yahweh said to me, 'Go again, love a woman loved by another, and an adulteress, even as Yahweh loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods, and love cakes of raisins.' So I bought her for myself for fifteen pieces of silver and a homer and a half of barley. I said to her, 'You shall stay with me many days. You shall not play the prostitute, and you shall not be with any other man. I will also be so toward you.' Hosea 3:1 WEB
Hosea was a young man when the Lord told him to marry, and he proposed to a woman named Gomer. They married and had three children, though the last two may not have belonged to him. Hosea does not go into detail, but when the third child was born, they divorced, and she took her adultery to the next level by turning pro.
The entire book of Hosea is a picture of God's people cheating on Him and worshipping baal. 'You shall have no other gods before Me' has always been a problem for His people who want what they want, and they want it right now. Some seem to believe that God is a simpleton and does not notice their actions, but then the moment something does not go as planned in their life, they blame Him for it like it is His fault. This is a two way relationship, He first loved us (1 John 4:19), but we are to love Him (Matthew 23:37).
Gomer's own lust created her problems. She wanted to be with Hosea, but with other men as well. Israel wanted to be called God's people, but enjoy other gods as well, whose worship often involved sex with cult prostitutes. It appealed to the flesh.
God told Hosea to take Gomer back again even though she was an adulteress. In the same way, He was giving His people a second chance at being His alone. Hosea gave all the money that he had and made up the rest in barley to buy back his wife, even though she had become a prostitute. God shows mercy to us even when we sin beyond our comprehension of redemption. You are never too far gone but given time, your cheating heart will always tell on you.
After all that she had done, Hosea bought her back. Then he told her that she could no longer live like she had been. This was a fresh start, a new beginning. From now on you do right by me, and I will do right by you. Though he gave her another chance on their relationship, he watched her closely to see if she would fall back into her old ways (Hosea 3:3).
Our relationship with God is pictured like a marriage all through the Bible. Ezekiel 16:32 speaks of an adulterous wife who chased after others instead of her own husband, a picture of His people chasing other gods. After all of our cheating is done, the Lord will take us back in, but He will watch us carefully to see if we turn back to our old ways. How will we act when given another chance at the relationship?
No matter what you have done, no matter how bad it is, God gave His Son Jesus to buy you back with His own precious blood. He can wipe out the past, but then it is our move. Gomer could not have her old life and her husband at the same time. Neither can we live our old life and continue to walk with the Lord. The old has been crucified with Christ, do not resurrect them.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I thank You for giving me another chance when I stumble. I choose You! Lord teach me to love You like You love me. Fill me with Your presence and help me see things through Your eyes, in the name of Jesus Christ I pray.
Amen Lord Jesus.
Thank you so much for sharing!! It is a great reminder to put my relationship with Christ first in my life. Sometimes this is difficult with all of life's distractions, I just ask God for His help. Bless you for your obedience.
I recall an old classic rock song back in the days that had some lyrics that really apply to this lesson. "Don't Know What You Got Til It's Gone." Of course the song was about a love relationship between a man and woman that was going bad. And of course the guy finally realizes what he had but it was too late. She had left. Thankfully our Lord is not like that. Praise God. Also part of the lyrics had the phrase "I can't clear my heart of your love, it falls like rain." Our Lords love is like that. Oh what a great God we serve. How many times do we chase after things of this world only to realize that He is the One.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamen!!!! So beautifully written and articulated!!!
Amen!
That was Cinderella from Long Cold Winter. Hard to believe that is classic rock now, I remember buying the CD when it came out. Well written Mark :)
Amen Brother
Forgive me Father for putting the distractions of this world before you. I long to love you first!
GOD IS......
GOOD!
I really needed to read this today! I walked away from The Lord a year ago this past Rosh Hashannah. I'm not going to make excuses. I'm wanting to come home, but I'm really afraid I fell too far.
Shari, I'm sure that is not the case. He understands and forgives far more than people do. Just take the first step and He will welcome you with open arms!
There is no too far with Him... that is merely a lie that the devil uses to drive you away. The Lord will welcome you back home and throw a celebration just as the Father did the prodigal son.
Over my 65 years, I have walked away at least 3 times that really stand out in my mind. DO NOT believe this lie of the enemy! You were His and still are and the Good Shepherd will carry you back to the fold and rejoice over you.
Our Father is waiting and wants you back under his bosom. Please don't listen to that voice that is telling you otherwise, it's a lie!! Praying for you Shari. Our Abba Father loves you and always will!!
I thank God that He persues us and offered up His only son to die for my sins. I have to remember that I have died to my old self, and because He raised His Son back to life, I also have been raised to a new life, and this is Gods work in me!
Amen
Satan always tries to tell us that we stumbled too far, that we are too backslidden, too far gone. He is nothing but the king of lies! Abba Father is always there, always willing to give us another chance. He will always forgive the repentent sinner, He knows our heart and our thoughts. God is love! When Satan says you blew it, tell Satan, Satan you are a liar! Jesus paid my ransom, it is finished, Jesus is my advocate, He cleanses me from all my sins, past, present and future and Abba Father has called me His child !
AMEN!
Amen!
That was the most accurate never-before-articulated-in-such-a-way lesson I can attest to as true and awesome. We easily lose sight of how awesome GOD is shortly after just experiencing a miracle. Let's never forget the enemy who sows doubt and not trust our own thoughts. Instead take every thought and make it obedient to Christ. Learn ALL His commands. Remember our friends and family are just old arrangements of convenience and commonality that cease to be relevant and become moot when GOD calls us out from the world and makes us His. "Who are My mother and brothers and sisters? These (pointing at His disciples) who hear and obey the Word of My Father." Or "What does it profit a man to gain the whole world but forfeit His soul in the kingdom of Heaven?"
Refreshing Hope. Dot Org.
GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAINS! OVER THE HILLS AND FAR AWAY!
Amen and Amen!!
Amen,Thank you Lord Jesus for loving me. For what I am today, I owe it All to you
I just read Hosea 3 as part of my daily reading and devotion on Friday! The people of Israel have been in my prayers a lot recently with what went down at the UN and the 70 nation meeting that is happening in Paris even today. God is and always will be their God and they His people as well as we His other children!! Praise Him for his love and constant mercy to us all!!!
This is a testament to my life. I was that prodigal son! I left my Father for the flesh and He has taken me back!!! Hallelujah!
Amen
Amen!! Thank you Pastor Dion for todays devotion. :-)
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I thank You for giving me another chance when I stumble. I choose You! Lord teach me to love You like You love me. Fill me with Your presence and help me see things through Your eyes, in the name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen <3
What a powerful reminder and story to start off the week. Father in Heaven thank you for the love you give to me and for your most precious gift Jesus who sacrificed all in the name of love. Amen!! Alleluia!! Amen!!
Amen♡
Amen! Pastors prayer, Heavenly Father, I thank you for giving me another chance when I stumble. I Choose You! Lord teach me to love you like you love me. Fill me with your presence and help me see things through your eyes, in the name of Jesus Christ I pray amen!!
Amen very well said pastor!! thank you for these devotionals they really speak to my heart <
AMEN! Whenever I reflect on the Old Testament, I'm amazed how much our society has not changed one bit.We still worship idols, then complain when God seems to ignore us.
amen
Amen!
Thank you Lord for using Pastor Dion to speak to me through his messages and devotionals..it helps me stay grounded in my walk with YOU and staying devoted to the word! :)
Amen
Pls my family and I , needs your prayers , we lost our mum .
Amen!