Love stays

The book of Hosea sure does describe a man full of undying, devoted love. The book is meant to reflect God's unfailing love for us. Though God was loyal to the Israelites, they were continually unfaithful to Him, continually committing adultery and allowing their hearts to drift from Him.  No matter what though, the Israelites remained the object of God's affection and He refused to break His covenant with them. 

I believe that God intends to use the story of Hosea and his prostitute wife Gomer as a method to connect with our hearts. We've all strayed from our first love, and it is all too easy to be lured away into spiritual idolatry like the Israelites were. God knows our hearts, and He knows our tendencies to be lured away by earthly things.  We've all forged golden calves. For some it's an addiction, maybe to a drug, or food, or pornography. For others, maybe is  rooted in  emotions they don't easily control. Maybe it's obvious like anger, pride, or greed. Or maybe it's an issue they can hide deep beneath the surface, like lust. For some, maybe their jobs become an idol. For others, maybe they misprioritize their desires and dreams. At times, maybe  even good things sneak in and rule our hearts, like our families and even our ministries.  Either away, we've all wandered away and become spiritual harlots at some point.  And for some of us, we've returned to it over and over again.

Above all, marriage is a covenant made between two people and God. It's meant to be everlasting, irrevocable, and unbreakable. It is a spiritual union and God intends for it to be used to mold each person more and more into His image. Hopefully we don't have to go through what Hosea did, but the truth is, we all have ugly sides to us, and nobody will get to see the ugliness showcased more than our spouses. If we go into marriage with unrealistic expectations, it won't be long before we become disillusioned. But if we go into it realistically, we'll confront the ugly parts and stand strong before our commitment to our spouse.  God doesn't intend for us to run when things get difficult, rather, He for us to stand firm and prove our affection. It's easy to love somebody when they are at their best, but love is proved when we see people at their worst and our devotion still doesn't waiver.