I love reading some of the prophetic books because they teach us so much about God and His people. Hosea describes our relationship in this passage as a Father raising a child, and it made me think of my relationship with my parents when I was growing up. I'm really thankful for my parents, and they showed a lot of love to my sister and I. As I grew up, however, I hit those difficult teenage years and suddenly I wasn't very interested in spending time with my parents or listening to what they had to say. I'm sure it was incredibly frustrating for them, but I was determined to go my own way.
It seems like this is what happened with God and His people when He says, "But the more I called Israel, the further they went from me." We can see here both God's wrath at the people who rebelled against Him, and His mercy for the children that He raised and loved so much. And it remains true of us today: people will always be fickle, hard-hearted, and rebellious. God, however, will always remain merciful when He calls for His people to return to Him.
Some of us may be going through different struggles and trials right now. I've been talking to quite a few people who are feeling physically, emotionally, or spiritually drained during this busy time. When we're feeling these things, it's easy to retreat from God and try to escape from our problems, but it's in these situations that God most wants us to turn to Him. He is the patient Father waiting for His children to return to Him so that He can renew and restore our hearts.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment