Tuesday, June 23, 2015

In our last visit I introduced you to the message of the prophet, Hosea. As you reflect on God’s love as seen in the experience of Hosea’s family, you’ll get a better understanding of tough love. When I did this I discovered three things: God’s love in agony, in action and in accomplishment. God cannot condone sin. He must condemn it and the sinner. Condemning the object of His love, however, is agonizing. God’s strong love spurns Him to action directed toward making the sinner aware of his utter need for help. He sets up one blockade after another in the sinner’s path until the sinner is utterly frustrated and friendless. When desperate and in despair God extends to the sinner His loving invitation to receive and reconcile the sinner unto Himself. The accomplishment of God’s love is seen when the sinner comes to Him in full surrender. Hosea teaches us that God loves with a love that will not let go. We should, therefore, turn from self and sin and let God be Lord of all, once for all, and all the time. Only then will we know Him as our ever-loving Lord and Savior. God is love and He wants you to know and experience that love, so turn to Him with all your heart and trust in His Son, the Lord Jesus, and you will become the recipient of His love towards you. If you turn from God and go your own rebellious way you will experience the lonely despair of rejection and hurt. God is patient and waiting for you to turn to Him by faith. Let me encourage you to do so.