An Example of Unconditional Love
Last night we heard an excellent testimony from Steve Franz, our evangelist for our revival services through Wednesday night. He told us how God had shown him great unconditional love by saving him and working great miracles in his life. The Lord called on the prophet Hosea to be an example of unconditional love himself. Since God's people had entered harlotry by worshiping other gods, but God still loved them, He called on Hosea to marry a wife of harlotry and to have children by her.(Hosea 1:2) Let's think about this for a minute.
It is great to think about God loving us unconditionally, like we heard from Steve's message. It is wonderful to tell others that God loves them unconditionally. The hard thing is for us to truly love people unconditionally like God loves us. That is what God called on Hosea to do, and that is what He calls on all of us, as believers, to do every day. Hosea took Gomer to be his wife, all the while knowing that she had been with many men. He took her knowing that she could return to her harlotry, because she had such a background in it. However, knowing all of that, he obeyed God, married her, and had a family with her. He loved her sincerely and unconditionally to show God's people the love of God for them in spite of their unfaithfulness. God gave Hosea the ability to love her like that, and He will give us that kind of love for others if we will submit ourselves fully to Him.
After all, that is the love of Jesus. We are deluding ourselves if we think we have been totally faithful to Jesus since the day He saved us. All of us have sinned by allowing idols to get our time, attention, and money. We have all drifted from Him, but He has gone after us to call us back to Himself, no matter what we have done, because His love is unconditional. Now, let's ask Jesus to make us a Hosea, so that we can love those around us with God's unconditional love. I believe it will make the Lord very happy if that is the desire of our hearts.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Hosea 4-6.
It is great to think about God loving us unconditionally, like we heard from Steve's message. It is wonderful to tell others that God loves them unconditionally. The hard thing is for us to truly love people unconditionally like God loves us. That is what God called on Hosea to do, and that is what He calls on all of us, as believers, to do every day. Hosea took Gomer to be his wife, all the while knowing that she had been with many men. He took her knowing that she could return to her harlotry, because she had such a background in it. However, knowing all of that, he obeyed God, married her, and had a family with her. He loved her sincerely and unconditionally to show God's people the love of God for them in spite of their unfaithfulness. God gave Hosea the ability to love her like that, and He will give us that kind of love for others if we will submit ourselves fully to Him.
After all, that is the love of Jesus. We are deluding ourselves if we think we have been totally faithful to Jesus since the day He saved us. All of us have sinned by allowing idols to get our time, attention, and money. We have all drifted from Him, but He has gone after us to call us back to Himself, no matter what we have done, because His love is unconditional. Now, let's ask Jesus to make us a Hosea, so that we can love those around us with God's unconditional love. I believe it will make the Lord very happy if that is the desire of our hearts.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Hosea 4-6.