Steadfast Love

Hosea 6:4-6—What shall I do with you, O Ephraim? What shall I do with you, O Judah? Your love is like a morning cloud, like the dew that goes away early. Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets, I have killed them by the words of my mouth, and my judgment goes forth as the light. For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

This morning I awoke to a blanket of gray clouds nestled down around me, but as I sat in my office looking out the window, I began to see little patches of blue peeking through.  The sun is now shining brilliantly, warming the earth, and all the dew and morning chill is gone.  In this passage of Hosea, God is expressing His disappointment that Israel’s love and devotion is just as fleeting as our morning clouds, chill, and dew.  In verse 6, He tells us in no uncertain terms what He wants of us—steadfast love.  It is not enough for us to go about doing whatever we want to do, ignoring God and living for ourselves with reckless disregard thinking that it will all be rectified with a “sacrifice.”  It’s not enough that we show up on Sunday to check-in with God—we must constantly steadfastly love Him.  We can’t satiate His appetite to be in relationship with us by making our simplistic offerings on Sunday morning.  We must know Him through prayer, meditation, and reading the Bible.  We must strive to live like Jesus lived – accepting of others, loving others, living compassionately, kindly, and for the good of the whole of ourselves.  Living like Jesus did is the only way to steadfastly love God and to truly know Him.

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, thank God for the divine simplicity of His Plan – that we know and love Him.  Rejoice in His desire to be in relationship with you so much so that He sent His Son, His Light, as the judgment to compensate for all our shortcomings and to show us how to know and love Him.  Praise Him as Your Savior and declare your steadfast love for Him.  Embrace His Holy Spirit so that you know Him ever more deeply.