Hosea

Tonight kicks off the Discover youth rally for the church here and I have the opening devotional. It is going to be on the prophet Hosea. I thought I would go ahead and post a portion of the thoughts that I want to share for the evening.
Hosea had it pretty rough, in my opinion. We talk about different "crosses" that we bear today, meaning struggles and hardships that we are called to because of our faith in God. But Hosea's situation is especially tough, I believe. God called out to Hosea and asked him to do something I would view as very difficult: marry a prostitute.
That's right. Forget about all the plans and dreams you had about loving a wife and knowing that she loves you. Those fantasies of raising a family somewhere in the countryside, affectionately caring for your children and watching them play with the woman you care so much for, because she cares for you. Forget about being the head of a reputable family in the community. Throw all of those ideas away, because you have to marry a prostitute.
I'm a hopeless romantic. I love the idea of love. If I were in Hosea's shoes, I would have been kicking and screaming. I would have protested, "God, that's not fair! She has never been faithful to anyone, she will not be faithful to me, and she will never love me like I need my wife to love me! And that really hurts me, God!"
That's God's point exactly. God was using Hosea as an example to Israel. God wanted Israel to see that they were supposed to be married to Him, to love Him and only Him. Israel, the wife, should submit to her husband, God, and to Him alone. He was to be "the one" for Israel. But Israel had been an unfaithful wife, abandonning her husband for other gods, and it was hurting the Lord.
The application rings truth to us today as well. We are the bride of Christ. Individually, we have also been bought by His blood. We are to belong to God, to submit to and to love God, and only God. How faithful have we been?
Thankfully, even if we have been unfaithful to God, God is always faithful to us. He forgives. He says to throw away all of the false gods we've served and to come back home to Him. He will love us and forgive us, and faithfully care for us for all eternity.