Love God Greatly: Faithful Love Sample

Today, we continue the comparison between Jacob and the people of Israel. Hosea reminds them of the time Jacob went to his uncle´s to work for seven years so he could get married to Rachel. Hosea was making a connection between the coming exile of Israel and Jacob´s exile when he fled from Esau to Laban. 

Hosea reminds the people that God always sent prophets to Israel. These prophets spoke God´s Word to the people, but the peopled rejected it. They turned from the Word of the living God and practiced idolatry (v. 11–14). This provoked God to anger, and the way the Israelites shed innocent blood provoked Him even more.

This passage today reminds me of Deuteronomy 8:2, “And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not.”

There are times God allows us to suffer so we can see what´s in our hearts. He led Israel into the wilderness for forty years so they could know what was in their hearts. 

Heavenly Father, don´t let me hide any sin inside my heart. Please reveal anything that may be hidden. Help me endure whatever circumstances I have to live in to become aware of the deepest sin in my heart. Amen.