AshleyWeis23@gmail.com
Pride builds up within our hearts, and admitting we are wrong is far from our lips. Our desire is to keep things the way we want them. We wish to keep life in our control. Confessing to God that we are wrong calls for change, and we want things to stay the same. We like our lives and the way we live them.
Temptation is so alluring, and it is surrounding us in every corner of the world. Sin is so profuse in this world that we cannot even see it anymore. We have become “used to it.” The Lord’s name in vain is found so often in movies and prime time television. Murder, violence, sex and lust; all of these things have become normal in movies. To watch a movie that contains those things has become typical.
It is no surprise that we do not realize our sinful nature, because it is so much a part of how we live in this modern world. It is everywhere. But one thing we need to realize is that God longs to redeem us from the passions of the world, and set our souls on fire with a passion that is not of this earth.
The book of Hosea in the bible clearly shows this redemption. As Israel went through a period of exile God longed to redeem her and take her back. He loved His people even after they turned their backs on Him, and all He wanted was to hold them in His arms and forgive them. “‘She decked herself with rings and jewelry, and went after her lovers, but me she forgot,’ declares the Lord.”
God later spoke even more of His love for Israel in another chapter in Hosea. He said, “The more I called Israel , the further they went from me… It was I who taught them to walk, taking them by the arms; but they did not realize it was I who healed them. I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love; I lifted the yoke from their neck and bent down to feed them… will they not return to Egypt … because they refuse to repent?” He displays with compassion. “My people are determined to turn from me.”
As Israel continues to turn away from God His anger begins to stir up. As He is expressing His anger to Israel He says, “When I fed them, they were satisfied; when they were satisfied, they became proud; then they forgot me.” This is such a meaningful verse. When we are satisfied, we become proud and forgot the One who filled us. When circumstances begin to go well for us we begin to forget God is the One who blessed us with them. He is the One who satisfies us; not us and definitely not the world.
Finally in Hosea the Lord says of repentance, “Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God. Your sins have been your downfall! Take words with you and return to the Lord. Say to him, ‘Forgive all our sins and receive us graciously that we may offer the fruit of our lips. Assyria (the world) cannot save us…’”
Imagine God saying this to you: I long to redeem you, but you do not cry out to me. God truly does long to forgive us. He longs. In the thesaurus that word is paired with: yearn, desire, hunger after, require, need, and want. Those are very powerful words, and those are the words God chose to describe the intensity of which He desires to forgive us.
Imagine a loved one walking out on you, repeatedly. You have done nothing but love them, care for them, and try to make things better for them when suddenly they walk out of your life. Not to mention, after that they cheat on you. Would you be waiting at home begging to forgive them?
Just imagine the depth of God’s love for us, and we continuously run from it. There is no human in this world that could ever love us with the depth of God’s love. It is no wonder we find ourselves disappointed.
Our first love should be the Lord.
Copyright 2007 Ashley Weis
