Unfaithful

[From 9/5/13]

"The LORD said to Hosea, "Go, take for yourself a wife of whoredom, and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the LORD."

(Hosea 1:2)

Relationships are hard work.  Imagine going into a new relationship knowing your partner would be unfaithful.  That was Hosea's dilemma.  God called him to marry a "promiscuous woman" (better translation than "whoredom").  Would you marry someone you KNEW would be unfaithful to you?

Why would God ask someone to do that, you ask?  Because it's a mirror of God's relationship with us!  We "forsake the LORD" over and over and over.  We're unfaithful to God. "But I haven't worshiped other gods anytime recently," you say?  Let's be honest.  We may not have entered any church/temple/shrine/holy site to worship some other god.  But we have given our heart away to things that are not of God.  The accumulation of wealth.  The desire for sex (& intimacy).  The need for accolades, recognition & praise.  The quest for personal security & a life of (relative) ease.  All of these things take us away from fully trusting God with our lives.  And we do it all the time.

Hosea's relationship with his wife, Gomer, is held up so we can see what we put God through.  But God is faithful, forgiving & loving... and God woos us back into his solitary embrace.  If only we will let him...