The Lord our Father

Today I reflected on one of my favorite chapters of the bible, Hosea chapter 11. It is some of the most beautifully written things I've ever read and really reminds of how God's love for is just like that of a father and his child.

"When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son....I taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by their arms; but they did not know that I healed them. I drew them with gentle cords, with bands of love...I stooped and fed them."

God's sympathy for his people is put into such a beautiful perspective here, it reminds me of when we sing "Your Grace is Enough." How true it is that God "wrestles with the sinner's heart"! We complain about how difficult it is to balance our lives with work, school, God, friends, etc., and yet how much more painful it must be to endure sin in the lives of those you love when every fiber of your being abhors its presence! There is a quote by St. Augustine that goes something like: "God does not need my lies....All that we need are his grace and an unswerving fidelity to the church." This in itself is truly all we need.

8-9"How can I give you up Ephraim?... My heart churns within me; my sympathy is stirred...For I am God and not man, the Holy One in your midst."

I tend to be an emotional person, which is not always a good thing. But God's love is as unchanging as everything else about him. I need constant encouragement to keep seeking the type of sympathy that comes from God; our own human sympathy will not carry us the distance necessary. I pray the rest of your week goes well, and know that this race in Jesus Christ is never in vain!