Grace like Hosea

     If we could see our whole life picture ahead of us when we choose someone to marry, I wonder what we would do differently. If you saw your spouse, unfaithful in the future, would it change your choice? What if they were repeatedly unfaithful, and caused you a great deal of hurt? Wouldn't you want to run from what you saw, and choose differently? And what if God asked you to marry that person anyways, what would you think about that?
     There is a book in our Bible called Hosea- it's one of the minor prophets in the cleaner part of your Bible;) Hosea was instructed, by God, to marry an unfaithful woman. It seems pretty ludicrous, that God would ask this of him, but He did. I love how Hosea was obedient, and didn't pitch a fit- he simply obeyed. Gomer was an unfaithful wife that surely caused a lot of heartache for Hosea. But God had a reason, as He always does for what He asks of us. 
     In Gomer, He saw me; and in Hosea, He saw Himself. By requesting that Hosea marry Gomer, He was allowing a picture of His immeasurable grace. I am the unfaithful one, when it comes to God. And time and time again, He takes me back because that is His character- a God of love and endless grace. It doesn't make sense to us that He would reach out to us every time we turn away from Him, because it is against our nature. We like to hold on to grudges, and refuse to give grace and compassion to those that have hurt us, but when we refuse to extend grace, we are saying our standards are higher than His. 
     The older I get, the more I realize God asks hard things of us, sometimes. But He never does it to cause us pain or harm, He does it out of love- to make me more like Him. God led me to this book of Hosea often after my husband left, and I knew He had a reason. It popped up in my devotions, it popped up in sermons, and it popped up in conversations. I couldn't argue that He was asking me to apply this story to my own marriage. 
     If you're struggling with extending grace to the one who has betrayed you, remind yourself of the grace God shows you. Hosea didn't partially obey, he chose to be obedient, and love his unfaithful wife. This is a hard thing for our hearts to comprehend, and sometimes, we don't quite make it there. Other times, we may not be given the opportunity to repair what has happened. But if you do have the opportunity, and if you're willing to be like Hosea, you have an opportunity to be a picture of God's love towards us. In any situation, grace is yours to offer- and in it, you'll find freedom!

And from his fullness we all have received, grace upon grace. John 1:16 ESV
You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, 2 Timothy 2:1 ESV
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. 2 Peter 3:18 ESV
But as you excel in everything- in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you- see that you excel in this act of grace also. 2 Corinthians 8:7 ESV

Dear Heavenly Father, help me to show grace like Hosea. In light of the grace You have shown me, I have no right to hold it back from others. Give me the strength to be liberal in extending it to those who have hurt me. I thank You for Your grace towards me, for it shows a love greater than I can understand. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen!