Like me, you probably enjoy seeing God’s Message as well as reading it.  There is a book by Francine Rivers, one of my favorite novelists who portray Bible characters in their world.  Rivers is gifted at bringing the characters into our lives as if we a part of the story, too.  She writes parallel to God’s Word, so there is no mistake who she is portraying with what God wants to say to us through her stories. 

A movie has been made from one of her novels!  “Redeeming Love” is a must see to get a deeper meaning for the story of Hosea.  I watched it again on Netflix.  You can also catch it on Pure Flix.  The main character is Michael and the prostitute God tells him to take as his wife is Angel.  The story unfolds with pain and agony for both but the details of Hosea are evident as Michael pays a high price to redeem his love, chosen by God for him.  Michael’s love for Angel is relentless and unfailing.  Mm, like God’s love for us?

God looks at us and sees us worthy of redeeming.  What kind of love is this?  God’s love.

“In time they’ll come back…ready for the End of the story of his love.”

Hosea 3, The Message

In Time They’ll Come Back

Then God ordered me, “Start all over: Love your wife again,
    your wife who’s in bed with her latest boyfriend, your cheating wife.
Love her the way I, God, love the Israelite people,
    even as they flirt and party with every god that takes their fancy.”

^2-3 I did it. I paid good money to get her back.
    It cost me the price of a slave.
Then I told her, “From now on you’re living with me.
    No more whoring, no more sleeping around.
    You’re living with me and I’m living with you.”

* * *

^4-5 The people of Israel are going to live a long time
    stripped of security and protection,
without religion and comfort,
    godless and prayerless.
But in time they’ll come back, these Israelites,
    come back looking for their God and their David-King.
They’ll come back chastened to reverence
    before God and his good gifts, ready for the End of the story of his love.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

God loves us.

God pursues us because He loves us more than we love ourselves. 

God loves us relentlessly and paid the price to redeem us.

God forgives us.  There is nothing we have done that He will not forgive.

God wants to bless us with an intimate, loving growing relationship with Him.

God hears our prayers and will answer with what is best for us.

God sent His Son, Jesus to save us and teach us about God’s love with his very life.

God wants us to love Him back but not because He forced or manipulated us—that’s cheap love. 

We love Him because He first love us. (1 John 4:19)

God is love. 

God’s love is what we have been searching for all our lives. 

Come home to His love.

The end is yet to come—life forever with Him!

Lord,

Thank you for teaching us the depth of our love for us through the story of Hosea and his wife.  Thank you for authors who follow you and drive the meaning of your love deeper into our being.  Thank you most of all for your never-ending, relentless, forgiving, unconditional, love that is wrapped around your mercy and grace for us.  I love you, Lord, with all my heart, mind, and soul.  You are my God because of Your Son paying the price for me.  And I am yours.

In Jesus Name, Amen