SOAP Hosea 3: Unconditional Love

Unconditional Love

Hosea 3

I have grown to find the book of Hosea to be very uplifting. At first, it was hard to understand why this book was so important. In Chapter 3 we see that Gomer has left Hosea and God tells him to get her back.

Then the Lord said to me, “Go and love your wife again, even though she commits adultery with another lover. This will illustrate that the Lord still loves Israel, even though the people have turned to other gods and love to worship them.

Hosea 3:1 NLT

Regardless of how she treated him, Hosea still loves her. In the same way, Israel has worshipped other gods and has committed many sins but the Lord pays for their sins. My guess is this is a foreshadowing of what Jesus did on the cross but I’m not for certain.

I am also seeing a picture of God’s unconditional love for his people. We are humans and we are not perfect. We have done many things to betray God and disobey him. In many instances, we’ve turned our backs on him and lived lives that were not honoring God. The Lord still loves us and chases after us when we leave to do our own thing. He paid a high price not because he needed us but because he loved us.

I am so thankful that our God is so loving. It’s so relieving to know that he will come for me. The love story that is now playing in my mind fills me with so much happiness. It helps me imagine a love that is everlasting and never failing. A love that is greater than our minds can really comprehend.

PRAYER: Lord, I pray that everyone can come to realize just how deeply you love us. No matter what we have done in the past, you still keep pursuing. You keep us safe in your house. Help me to love like you and be a safe place for others around me. In Jesus' name Amen.