“When Israel was a youth I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son. The more they called them, the more they went from them; they kept sacrificing to the Baals and burning incense to idols. Yet it is I who taught Ephraim to walk, I took them in My arms; but they did not know that I healed them” (Hosea 11:1-3).
Parenting, especially when done the right way, can be one of the most difficult jobs in the universe. And as the verses listed above reveal, even the Creator of the universe understands the struggle. You can hear the pain in the Father’s voice as He recalls His efforts to nurture His children -- the nation of Israel. His great love for them was evidenced in so many ways. In their infancy as a nation, He freed them from Egyptian bondage and brought them to Mt. Sinai. He taught them to walk through giving them laws and statues to guide them as they matured in their faith.
But, sadly, God’s children rejected His benevolent attempts to lovingly parent them. They rebelled against Him and, to make matters worse, turned to serve other gods. The Father repeatedly reached out to His wayward children through the prophets, calling them to repentance. But the call mostly fell on deaf ears. The harder God worked to reach them, the farther the children went into idolatry. The Father longed to wrap them in His healing arms but they didn’t know and didn’t care.
If we are people of faith, God is our Father and we are His children. Let’s encourage each other to make His job a delight rather than a difficulty. Our heavenly Father loves us more than we could ever know. It breaks His heart when we reject His love and chase after other “gods,” whatever form they take. Thankfully, He doesn’t give up easily. He calls us to repentance and longs for us to return His love. Will we heed His call or will we ignore Him and face His discipline as Israel did?
God loves you!
Mike
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