Hosea was in love with Gomer and it wasn’t long before he asked for her hand in marriage. They set up house and began their family, two sons and a girl. The boys were named Jezreel and Lo-Ammi, the girl was Lo-Ruhamah. By the way, baby name books were not published back then.

Hosea felt he was in the will of God and everything was going great. But Gomer’s past began calling on her again and soon she left Hosea high and dry with the three children. She went back to the streets, she went back to her former lovers, she went back to her old lifestyle, she went back to…nothing.

What I mean by nothing is that the world offers us nothing, the devil’s promises are nothing and sin leaves us with nothing. God offers us eternal love, faithfulness and life. Why would anyone turn away from that to receive…nothing!?

Now, Hosea must have gone through a sea of emotions when his wife left him, but what would soon take place revealed his true heart for her. Maybe he got family to watch the kids. Maybe the kids were now old enough to watch themselves. Maybe he hired a nanny for them, no one knows for sure, but what we do know is that Hosea began to search the streets for Gomer.

He would visit the brothels, the temples and every street corner with red lights. “Have you seen my wife, her name is Gomer?” What did he feel when he asked people that? Did he know that they were talking behind his back? Was he the brunt of their jokes and sarcasm? Did anyone just say to him, “Hey, Hosea, she doesn’t want you.”

How many nights did he go home alone because he couldn’t find her? How many nights did he go home alone because he couldn’t talk her into to coming back with him? Did he kneel at his bed at night mouthing the prayer, “Maybe tomorrow Lord, maybe tomorrow.”

One thing is for certain; Hosea’s love seized the day. Hosea would not be deterred and Hosea would not quit. Hosea loved Gomer and she would be the beneficiary of a love that just wouldn’t quit.

You and I and everyone else who has received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, have also received a love that just wouldn’t quit. He has found some of us in the dark streets of this ugly world. Some have been delivered from much oppression and affliction. Some of us were lovers of ourselves, proud, abusive and disobedient to our parents. Some of us were ungrateful, unholy, without love. Some of us were unforgiving, without self-control, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.

But God loved us and He hunted us down and He cornered us in His grace and corralled us in His mercies. He never quit. You see, God was using Hosea and his life to illustrate for Israel the love that He had for them –and us. God spoke to Israel through the prophet Ezekiel and said this: “Later I passed by, and when I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for love, I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your nakedness. I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Sovereign Lord, and you became mine.”

God has bound Himself to you with an oath and the love that moved Him to do that is the same love that keeps you and I even now. It’s a love that just won’t quit!

Have a great week! Pastor Jim