Hosea, a book recording the repeated unfaithfulness of Israel to God, also reveals a God who woos and draws and pursues with a permanent, tender and unfailing love. He even uses the language of a marriage covenant:
“I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me
In righteousness and justice, in lovingkindness and mercy;
I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness,
And you shall know the Lord” (Hosea 2.19, 20)
How can we refuse a faithful God’s offer to know Him like that, to really know Him? He further promises us:
“I drew them with gentle cords, with bands of love,
And I was to them as those who take the yoke from their neck [burden lifter]
Last night as our our worship and prayer time wound down, the sun having just set over the mountains, while splashes of hot pink and brilliant orange still dotted the sky, my friend Cheryl Rios popped a song in the CD player. The music fell freely out into the summer’s night air like a beautiful ribbon blowing in a gentle breeze.
It seems a fitting response to a God who has drawn us with “gentle cords and bands of love…” The gift was His love through His Son, but he tied it all up so beautifully with ribbons of gentleness and love. Here is the song* I am singing today…
http://gracegrace.com/worship_player.swf
May it be a sweet sound to my loving God…Jeanie
NOTE TO SELF: Continue this “Summer of Love and Worship” after Heaven Fest, offering my song of praise…
*”Give You My Praise” by Grace Williams, www.gracegrace.com. Sunset photo is a Google.com image. It is similiar to what we saw, except that ours was reflected on the water, double beauty!