You Are Pursued in Love - The Crosswalk Devotional - October 1

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You Are Pursued in Love
By Jennifer Slattery

Bible Reading:
“Therefore I am now going to allure her;
I will lead her into the wilderness
and speak tenderly to her.

There I will give her back her vineyards,
and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.
There she will respond as in the days of her youth,
as in the day she came up out of Egypt.

“In that day,” declares the Lord,
“you will call me ‘my husband’;
you will no longer call me ‘my master.’ Hosea 2:14-16, NIV

We’ve all experienced the pain of shattered relationships, of betrayal and rejection. Sometimes, these experiences shock us and leave us battling indignation. Other times, we expected the relationship to fracture and the other person to withdraw—because of how we behaved. But oh, what healing when we encounter someone who sees us at worst and chooses to not only stay, but reaches for us, bridging the canyon our hurtful actions created and meets our ugliest deeds with grace.

The Lord’s ever-present, never-ending, oh-go-gracious love has, and is, bringing healing to the wounded places in my soul and is helping to shatter the shame from some of my, relationship-harming behaviors—including those things that I know grieved the Lord’s heart and abused His grace. A grace He lavishes, in abundance, upon each of us.

He pursues us when we regularly read our Bibles, pray, give, and serve. He also pursues us—in love—when we choose His gifts over His presence, turn our backs on Him, and rebel.

As we see again and again and again in His response to ancient Israel. For thousands of years, they treated His faithful kindness with contempt, disdained His life-giving commands, and only pursued Him when they landed in an insurmountable crisis.

Hosea, the Old Testament prophet who wrote the book from which today’s passage comes, stepped into ministry during a challenging season in ancient Israel’s history. Delivering God’s message when his contemporaries Micah and Isaiah did the same, he conveyed similar warnings of judgment and promises of restoration and reconciliation with the Lord, but in a unique and powerful way. God told him to marry a “harlot”, which some commentators believe meant she worked as a prostitute, while others suggest the name points to a promiscuous lifestyle. The shocking and scandalous marriage revealed the depth of the relationship God desired with His people and the intense grief He experienced from their betrayal. 

The text invites the reader to pause and consider their most intimate human relationship, and how they’d feel with an unfaithful spouse. If you’ve ever experienced this type of rupture, you know the intense pain this causes. Infidelity shatters trust and any sense of emotional safety once held, often leading to divorce or a long, arduous road of repair. 

God wanted His people to understand the damage they’d caused when they not only enjoyed all the blessings He provided—rain and sunshine for their crops, wheat and grapes for their bellies, and warm homes to sleep in each night—while attributing them to idols. 

Having read Judges, 1 and 2 Chronicles, and 1 and 2 Kings in chronological order, page by page, I was stunned and touched by the Lord’s continual grace. Generation after generation, His people rejected Him and His love and behaved in horrific ways. They oppressed the weak, committed violent acts against one another, engaged in temple prostitution, and even practiced child sacrifice. Those sins alone demand quick justice. But what made them even more atrocious was the fact that the ancient Israelites were the only people on the planet whom the Lord chose to live out His mission and reveal Him, His heart, and His ways to the watching world.

This would be like your church sending missionaries to another country, paying for all their living expenses, only to find out they’d used their home to throw wild parties and their salaries for drugs and alcohol. 

One wouldn’t expect someone engaging in such a manner to keep their position, let alone receive a second, or third, fourth, or twenty-first opportunity to try again. 

Yet, that is precisely what God offered His people. Yes, judgment would come, but like I said, so would redemption, restoration, and, most importantly, reconciliation with their heavenly Father and faithful husband. 

Pause to read today’s passage again, reflecting on what it reveals regarding our Savior’s heart:

“Therefore I am now going to allure her;
I will lead her into the wilderness
and speak tenderly to her.

There I will give her back her vineyards,
and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.
There she will respond as in the days of her youth,
as in the day she came up out of Egypt.

“In that day,” declares the Lord,
“you will call me ‘my husband’;
you will no longer call me ‘my master.’

In mentioning the wilderness, the Lord was reminding them of how He’d freed them from slavery and oppression in Egypt—through a series of unforgettable miracles that became cemented in the nation’s history. Then, after liberating his helpless and oppressed children, He led them personally, faithfully, and tangibly, making His presence known in a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. And while in the wilderness, He met their every need. He wasn’t just ensuring their survival. He was also teaching them to trust in and rely on Him.

Intersecting Life & Faith:

That was the depth of relationship He’d always wanted. That was the type of relationship our Father grieved and longed to restore. Most importantly, that’s the depth of relationship He wants with us—one built on trust, dependence, and the emotional intimacy enjoyed in the healthiest and holiest marriages.  

Reflecting upon this, and the Lord’s unchanging character revealed throughout history, encourages me to turn to Him when I mess up, to rest in Him when I’m overburdened, to trust in Him when I’m afraid, and to celebrate His presence in difficult and joyous seasons. 

Further Reading:
Luke 19:10
Matthew 23:37
Psalm 23:6

Photo Credit: ©Pexels/Samuel Silitonga 

Jennifer Slattery is a writer and speaker who co-hosts the Faith Over Fear podcast and, along with a team of 6, the Your Daily Bible Verse podcast. She’s addressed women’s groups, Bible studies, and taught at writers conferences across the nation. She’s the author of Building a Family and numerous other titles and maintains a devotional blog at JenniferSlatteryLivesOutLoud.com.

She’s passionate about helping people experience Christ’s freedom in all areas of their lives. Visit her online to learn more about her speaking or to book her for your next women’s event, and sign up for her free quarterly newsletter HERE and make sure to connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and GodTube.

Check out fantastic resources on Faith, Family, and Fun at Crosswalk.com! 

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