“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name; you are Mine.” Isaiah 43:1
When I was younger , I was struggling with forgiving specifically 2 men in my life. I was trying to do it on my own. Yes I prayed about it, and I would think I had accomplished it. Until something else would happen and WHAM- hatred would rush in. I remembered the scripture 1 John 4:8, “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. “ It would eat me up alive.
I would ask God, “Daddy-what does that mean??? Do I not know you? How can I be saved and have such hatred if You are love and You live in me?” I also knew in my mind that forgiveness wasn’t saying the person was right, but setting yourself free. I struggled with this from when I was saved at 9-until when God finally spoke sooo loud it was almost audible at 14 yrs old.
“Which is more important-Maggie’s feelings or their lost soul?”
“Wow… obviously their lost soul,” I said. I’ve always had a huge burden for lost souls. – Daddy-God knew that is the perspective I needed to really love these men in any situation and to have a heavenly mind.
Fast forward to when I’m 20 years old and now feel like I know all about forgiveness. My husband leaves me for another woman, bullies me, and what feels like (key words-because we don’t really fight flesh and blood but principalities of darkness-but we’ll get to that in a later blog) my worst enemy. I remember daily something happening and feeling betrayed in a new and different way. I remember telling my mom- it will be a miracle if I don’t hate him at the end of this!!!- as I just bawled my eyes out.
Then Jesus showed me His precious book of Hosea in the Old Testament. The first 3 chapters is a crazy story where God tells Hosea a prophet to marry Gomer a prostitute-(right? poor girl, not only is she a prostitute who by the way was sold for pretty much pennies, her name was Gomer? fail-)anyways- Hosea a godly loving man was to marry a prostitute and vow to her and love her. Hosea 3:3, “Then he said to her, ‘You shall stay with me for many days. You shall not play the harlot, nor shall you have a man; so I will also be toward you’”. So picture this he buys her for pennies and makes a vow to love her and cherish her and says you be vowed to me and love me.
Gomer repeatedly goes back to prostitution and cheats on Hosea. Again God says to buy her back and love her and make a vow to her. Hosea obeys. He vows to her and she to him. This happens several times.
THEN IT HAPPENS! God tells Israel (and now that we are grafted in-that’s us Christians too)- that’s you, you adulterous people!!! Out of all the sin that was rampant in these chapters what grieved the heart of God most was Idolatry-His church/bride worshipping other false gods and spitting in His face. He told them from the beginning- very first commandment-“You shall have no other gods before Me.” This is a real story to help us get a visual and really understand. Gomer represents us and Hosea represents God.
God bought us selfish, unworthy sinners at a price! He gave His one and only son, Jesus to die and pay our debt! – He made a new covenant with us! And I made a vow to Him! –And what do I continually do??? Place other things ahead of Him. – Money, security, people, sin; anything that I run to before I run to Him or that I do when I clearly hear His voice saying, “Spend time with me! I love you! I cherish you beloved!”
Wow!!! There it is! I’m the prostitute who continually has hurt my beloved for something so much less satisfying. Yet it says that the Lord allured me back to Himself and REDEEMED ME! HE LOVES ME! SAYS I’M HIS! I’M HIS BELOVED! AND HE IS ESPECIALLY FOND OF ME! He has washed my sins as white as snow and calls me beautiful! – What is more beautiful than that??? so-
That is when I realized that no one could betray me or hurt me like I have hurt the Lord. And if He gives me grace and continues to woo me back to Himself- then HOW in the World do I think I can keep from extending that same grace to others freely? Only one who knows the love and forgiveness of God can ever love this perfectly. And one who has experienced His loving forgiveness cannot help but love and forgive others.
Today I not only am redeemed spiritually but He has given me an amazing husband who loves me and cherishes me as well. He has given me complete restoration. So As you read this today I encourage you to walk in Christ’s freedom and soak up His grace and to pray through Him that you could extend it freely to others!
Hosea 2:14-20,
14“Therefore, behold, I will allure her,
Will bring her into the wilderness,
And speak comfort to her.
15 I will give her her vineyards from there,
And the Valley of Achor as a door of hope;
She shall sing there,
As in the days of her youth,
…
16 “And it shall be, in that day,”
Says the Lord,
“That you will call Me ‘My Husband,’[c]
And no longer call Me ‘My Master,’[d]
17 For I will take from her mouth the names of the Baals,
And they shall be remembered by their name no more.
…..
19 “I will betroth you to Me forever;
Yes, I will betroth you to Me
In righteousness and justice,
In lovingkindness and mercy;
20 I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness,
And you shall know the Lord.”
WHAT A REDEEMING GOD!
