God's Love For Us Ties of Love! 115 [Hos 11:1-12] / Anne's Faith Column

  

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God's Love For Us 

Ties Of Love! 115

 [Hos 11:1-12] 

 

 / Anne's Faith Column 

 

/ By Priscilla 

 

God, who led Israelites

with the ties of love,

 

 

endlessly urged the people,

who did not realize His love

and distanced themselves

from Him, to return.

 

 

Nevertheless, it can be seen

through today's scripture that

 

 

God lamented that the people

did not return in the end

with their hearts set on

what was false.

 

 

"When Israel was a child,

I loved him, and out of

Egypt I called my son.

 

 

But the more I called Israel,

the further they went from me.

 

 

They sacrificed to the Baals

and they burned incense

to images.

 

 

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.

(Hos 11: 1, 2, 4)

 

 

God loved his people

and rescued them from

the exile even when they

did not know Him.

 

 

God freed them from

the bondage of slavery

and allowed them to

enjoy true freedom.

 

 

Nevertheless, because

they did not correctly

recognize God, they could

not realize the love of God

 

 

who freed them from

the bonds of human suffering

and removed their yoke.

 

 

They turned away from God,

who had granted everything

to them and ended up

serving other gods,

 

 

and He was so

heartbroken.

 

 

In the words below,

we can know His heart. 

 

 

"My people are

determined to turn

from me." 

 

 

God is slow to anger.

He waited in patience,

urging His people,

 

 

who decided to leave

Him, to return. 

 

 

At this time in the same

situation, God wants us,

His children, to know

His will for us.

 

 

God expresses His strong

will by saying, 

 

 

"I will never let go of the ties

of love before my children."

 

 

In particular,

in Hosea 11:8,

 

 

“How can I give you up, Ephraim?

How can I hand you over, Israel?

 

 

We can fully feel God's love and

compassion from this scripture.

 

 

That is why we weep

at the word of God.

 

 

But at this time,

when we are thrilled before God,

who shows us God's faithfulness

and active love for His children,

 

 

and who has rescued us

from the mire of sin,

 

 

Satan approaches us like

a roaring lion and accuses

us constantly saying like this,

 

 

"You do not deserve

to be God's children."  

 

 

However,

we must remember that 

no one can interrupt the

relationship between

God and us, His children,

 

 

and that no one can

sever the ties of love.”

 

 

And we must absolutely

not accept the accusation

of the devil.

 

 

Instead,

we must become  those 

who never let go of the ties

of love that God has given us.

 

 

Only because I realized

His free grace and love,

I hold tight to the

 

 

'ties of love' that He

has granted me.

 

 

So I confess to God

that even now,

 

 

I love Him and willingly

come closer to Him

to seek Him.

 

 

So, how

should we have a life?

 

 

1) We must live a life that

actively repays God's love.

 

 

2) We must not become

those who hurt God's heart.

 

 

Prayer

 

 

Even though I am Your child,

forgive me for being insincere!

 

 

I am deeply moved by

Heavenly Father's

extreme love.

 

 

I will not  absolutely

let go of the ties of love that 

You have granted me. 

 

 

Amen

 

 

- To Be Continue - 

 

 

2011/02/23

 

/ By Priscilla