Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from Chris Tomlin singing … Amazing Love … poignantly singing of the amazing love that God extended to us … that we should extend to others, especially in our marriages.
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Highlight Verse[s]: Hosea 3:1 [NLT] … 1 Then the Lord said to me, “Go and love your wife again, even though she commits adultery with another lover. This will illustrate that the Lord still loves Israel, even though the people have turned to other gods and love to worship them.”
… There were over 5000 to be fed that day, … way beyond the means of His disciples.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Hosea 3:1-5 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God commands Hosea to reclaim and restore His unfaithful wife to illustrate God’s love for His unfaithful people.
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Reference Passage : … John 3:16-17 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus declares the extent of His love for the world of the unfaithful.
Reference Passage : … John 13:34-35 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus commands His Disciples (that’s us!) to love others as He has loved us, which is completely and unconditionally.
Reference Passage : … John 14:21 [NLT] … 21 Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”
… Jesus explains what it takes to show our love for Him.
Reference Passage : … 1 Corinthians 13:7 [NLT] … 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
… God’s love never gives up on us … as our love should never give up on those we’re called to love.
My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Estera Pirosca Escobar, used a contemporary story of love and forgiveness, like the one in the book of Hosea, to illustrate how we need to reflect God’s love and forgiveness in our human relationships, … like marriage. … The ODB author wrote: Ron and Nancy’s marriage was deteriorating rapidly. She had an affair, but after some time she admitted her sin to God. She knew what He wanted her to do, but it was difficult. She shared the truth with Ron. Instead of asking for a divorce, Ron chose to give Nancy a chance to win his trust back by showing that she’d changed. In a miraculous way God restored their marriage.
This ODB illustration hits close to my heart; because, in reverse, that’s what happened to my wife and I; … except I was the unfaithful one and she was willing to let me show her that I would love her the way that God called us to love one another in our marriage vows. And in time, He showed us His unconditional love for us, which, of course, is the model we should follow for one another; … and ultimately… WE DID; … because we’ve been married for 54+ years now. And our commitment to share God’s love is as strong today as it should have been when we were first married.
All of us can be - and often are - unfaithful to our relationship with our Lord, our Bridegroom, King Jesus. However, just as Chris Tomlin sings, His amazing, unconditional, love is always there to take us back, restoring and renewing our relationship with Him when we’re willing to show our faithfulness to him by our obedience. That’s what all those reference Scriptures above declare; and I, for one, believe them; … and I will do all I can the rest of my life to live them out in my marriage.
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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for ALWAYS loving us and desiring that we love You and others in the same way.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to share God’s “agape” with others, especially those whom God has called us to love as He loved us. … Amen
Blogger Note: Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled “Our Daily Bread,” distributed online via email by RBC Ministries. If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.
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