DAILY READING
REFLECTION
He Loves You Too Much to Let You Go!
by Mary Kate Hipp
What a beautiful picture of the Lord's extravagant love for us. In the beginning of Hosea chapter 2, we read a statement of divorce (Hos 2:2 "For she is not my wife and I am not her husband"). Verses 5-7 then go on to explain all of the reasons why Hosea (husband) should leave Gomer (wife) and how she has not recognized God as her Lord and master. In the ancient near east, divorce was not particularly common and was full of great shame. If caught in adultery, the punishment was death. When we read the beginning of chapter 2 we should read that Gomer is a dishonorable woman and (according to ancient near eastern culture) should be severely punished.
But then we come to the latter half of Hosea chapter 2 and the Lord is displaying extravagant mercy, grace, and love. As Hosea is to do with Gomer, so the Lord is to us when we go astray: He restores us, He calls us beloved, He extends grace. We even read the inverse of the divorce statement in verse 16 ("You will call me your husband").
This excerpt from Hosea reminds me of the story of the Prodigal's Son. We see the same extravagant love of the Father displayed here. One of God's children has gone astray, has worshiped idols, has decided life is better without God--but the Father loves them too much to let them go.
In the play for Vacation Bible School this year, one of the characters does not understand the point of following God and another character stops her and boldly proclaims: "Right now God is chasing after you. You might be trying to run away from Him, but He loves you too much to let you go. You are His treasure."
And isn't that true for every single one of us?
We all at one point or another have run away from God, some of us are currently running away from God. Yet He chases us anyways. He pursues us anyways because we are His treasure. He simply loves you too much to let you go.
Friends, rest in this promise today: God is chasing after you because you are His treasure, He loves you too much to let you go.
PRAYER
God, help us today to remember that truth: You love us too much to let us go. Amen.
