You Just Cannot Exhaust God’s Redeeming Love
No Matter How Hard You Try
Read Hosea Chapters 11-14
Isn’t it amazing and merciful, that we (or Israel) cannot make God “harbor his anger forever” (see Psalm 103:9b). Today, I want us see this image in the Word. Below is a picture of our home, with a rainbow above it, immediately after a storm.
The Calm AFTER A Storm
Yes, our God’s righteous anger is ”storming” at Israel’s unfaithfulness (Hosea 11:5-7), but see how quickly it is driven away by His compassion ~ “The Calm After The Storm”.
“How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I treat you like Admah? How can I make you like Zeboiim? My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused. I will not carry out my fierce anger, nor will I turn and devastate Ephraim. For I am God, and not man-the Holy One among you. I will not come in wrath.” Hosea 11:8-9 NIV
I hear folks say, quite often, “I don’t understand the God of the Old Testament”. Well, I don’t understand him totally either. I do know that if we read His Word with an open heart, we can not help but see that “He is God” and His love is so grand for us, we cannot ever reach the end of it.
The Storm? We do experience God’s discipline.
The Calm After The Storm? We experience God’s amazing, merciful and redeeming love.
Although Israel will be punished for their disobedience, God will bring them home again (Hosea 11:10-11).
Thought to Ponder: Amazing, merciful and redeeming ~ that’s God’s love for us!
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