God says, “I have loved you with an ever-lasting Love. With loving-kindness I have drawn you near to me”.  (Jeremiah 31.3)

The everlasting love is a love that never dries up. It is very hard to comprehend it. It is almost unexplainable. It’s like a water tap that is turned on and is never turned off. It keeps running. Great sinners have understood the meaning of this love because their sin was far too big but God’s love was even greater.

The prophet Hosea was asked to play one of the most difficult roles ever thought or imagined. He must have been the laughing stock of the local community. He was asked to marry Gomer who would be loved by another. She would be unfaithful to him. God asked Hosea to bring her back to demonstrate the love of God to the nation of Israel who were very unfaithful to him.

God said to Hosea, “Go and get married – your wife will be unfaithful.” This must have been a daunting thought for Hosea. He was to marry a woman who would be unfaithful to him. He must have thought what will people think of me! Just imagine the gossip and slander that he had to put up with from his community.

Hosea married Gomer. They had two children. Gomer becomes unfaithful.  God asks Hosea to buy his wife back from an adulterous relationship to demonstrate the love of God for his people.

He is told to show love to her. This was not a process but real love. Unfortunately, so many times love can be a process for us. Hosea was told to put aside the failings of his wife and to love her. Only God can love like this!

  Just imagine for a moment how Hosea must have felt- he had to go and buy his wife back from an adulterous relationship. It must have been quite a humiliating experience. God sometimes asks us to do things that don’t make any sense. God’s love is wide as the ocean and deep as the sea.

So many times, we are putting other things before God. God calls it spiritual adultery.  It could be a pursuit of a relationship; or money – most of us are guilty of keeping money more for ourselves and not sharing it with others. When John the Baptist arrived on the scene, people asked him, “What must we do to be saved?” He said, “If you have two coats give one to who has not got a coat.” This is a huge challenge to us in the west.

The message of Hosea is God welcomes us back. God does not have double standards. He asked Hosea to bring his wife back and love her. The word love is the key thing here.

Unfortunately, I think religion is in danger of being a process. God is about Love. God is love. It is not a cold-hearted process. People today have religion but the big question is do they have a connection to the God who is Love?

St Paul himself said, “Love is the Greatest of All”. He went on to say, “You can give up everything but if you have no love in your heart, it means nothing.” It is a bit concerning that we have become so process-minded in the West. We forget love is the greatest.

The hymn writer talks about idols getting in the way of him and God and tearing them down.

O, For a Closer Walk with God.

The dearest idol I have known

Whate’er that idol be

Help me to tear it from Thy throne

And worship only Thee.

                     (The story of Hosea is found in the bible)

By Harbajan (servant of Jesus) www.godislove.uk 15/07.26