Using God
This week's goodness is on Hosea 13:5-6:
These verses sum up the natural progression of an emotion-based Christian life. When times are bad, we want God. When times are good, we want good times. Does a healthy relationship work like that? Do people get married to start a family, and then once they do well financially, run off after the secretary/gardener and expect their relationship to last and be strengthened? Does that turn out well, and is it a true expression of mutual love?
God cared for the Israelites when he took them out of bondage in Egypt. He provided everything for them when he led them through the desert, but once they arrived in Israel, they had everything they needed and discarded God. They're like the guy who tells the girl she's beautiful and promises to marry her, only to abandon her once he's had sex with her. The Israelites' love for God is shallow and based only in their momentary need.
We do the same thing. We find ourselves in need, and beg God for help. We promise to follow him, if only he will help us. God helps us completely, and we are satisfied. We are so satisfied that we forget that we even needed to ask God for help in the first place. We justify his aid as coincidence, or our own latent ability, or whatever. We begin to act as though we never needed God, and we forget our earlier dedication. God seeks us, but we've forgotten him.
We're kind of not supposed to do that. God is eternal. His love for us is eternal, not momentary. We always love God back when he has something we desire. But what about when we don't have any pressing needs that he can fulfill for us, or worse, when he wants something of us that may cost us something? Does our love go that deep? Or are we trying to play the omniscient God for a fool? Do we think he can't see our heart?
Ask God for a deeper love. Ask him for consistency. Be aware of your life choices. Are you faithful? Are you dedicated? Are you available to him? Or have you moved on to chase other things? Come back and stay.
I cared for you in the wilderness,
in the land of burning heat.
When I fed them, they were satisfied;
when they were satisfied, they became proud;
then they forgot me.
These verses sum up the natural progression of an emotion-based Christian life. When times are bad, we want God. When times are good, we want good times. Does a healthy relationship work like that? Do people get married to start a family, and then once they do well financially, run off after the secretary/gardener and expect their relationship to last and be strengthened? Does that turn out well, and is it a true expression of mutual love?
God cared for the Israelites when he took them out of bondage in Egypt. He provided everything for them when he led them through the desert, but once they arrived in Israel, they had everything they needed and discarded God. They're like the guy who tells the girl she's beautiful and promises to marry her, only to abandon her once he's had sex with her. The Israelites' love for God is shallow and based only in their momentary need.
We do the same thing. We find ourselves in need, and beg God for help. We promise to follow him, if only he will help us. God helps us completely, and we are satisfied. We are so satisfied that we forget that we even needed to ask God for help in the first place. We justify his aid as coincidence, or our own latent ability, or whatever. We begin to act as though we never needed God, and we forget our earlier dedication. God seeks us, but we've forgotten him.
We're kind of not supposed to do that. God is eternal. His love for us is eternal, not momentary. We always love God back when he has something we desire. But what about when we don't have any pressing needs that he can fulfill for us, or worse, when he wants something of us that may cost us something? Does our love go that deep? Or are we trying to play the omniscient God for a fool? Do we think he can't see our heart?
Ask God for a deeper love. Ask him for consistency. Be aware of your life choices. Are you faithful? Are you dedicated? Are you available to him? Or have you moved on to chase other things? Come back and stay.
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