Preaching the Love of God to yourself.

Recently one of my heroes, Mr Andrew Page, has been leading us through Hosea. To which I might add is absolutely fantastic. God's Love and his commitment to us as His people is astounding.

This Sunday (30/05/2010) I heard about the Love of God, again. Every-time it is as if somebody has just given me dose of drugs. It is such a rush, because the Love of God is divine.

So I thought, how could I preach the Love of God to myself all the time? Jerry Bridges another one of my heroes tells us to Preach the Gospel to ourselves every morning! Do we do this? I found that telling myself Colossians 3; we are Chosen, Holy and Loved helps.

But I want to Preach the Love of God to myself everyday too. So I thought with Hosea in mind, I would try to construct something.

Andrew when preaching kept repeating some ideas, which I think help us to do this. Israel rebelled against God, they gave themselves to idols. This is not just having Idols, but they in short had sex with them. They were this involved with them. Israel went after many lovers, and this broke God's heart. Hosea 2:13. Whenever we Christians or not go after other gods. This being Jobs, Status, Sex or Money, we break God's heart. We smash his love straight back in his face. Imagine your Girlfriend/Boyfriend or Husband/Wife goes and has sex with loads of different people.

How would you feel? Do I need to tell you?

God made Hosea marry an adulterous wife, so he knew how God felt.

God is hurt when we turn our backs on Him. We break his heart! How does this make you feel? I wouldn't hesitate to say that perhaps I turn my back on God everyday.

But I gets worse, because when we do this, we basically 'forget' God. In Hosea 2, God speaks about Israel going after lovers and forgetting him. Do we leave God out in the cold? Do we forget him? Have you ever been forgotten? How does that make you feel, or did make you feel? After what God has done for you. Created us, gave us life, died for us and rejoices over us, we forget Him. Its terrible.

So if we remember this as a story of who we are, everyday. Let's look at God's response. Because Jesus took our judgment, rebellion and punishment on the Cross, God treats us in a way that can only be described as Divine.

As we run away from God and forget him, God does something amazing. He woos us back or allures us back. Hosea 2:14.

Even though we leave God and forget Him. He comes back to us, he comes looking for us. He is the one who starts the wooing. Not us. God looks and seeks for the adulterous wife and forgetful people. He comes looking for us and loves us so much that He would die for us, even though we forget about Him and sleep with Idols!!!! What divine love is this? How can this be? God is committed to us as his people.

This is only one story mixed with others of God's Love. But I urge us to preach this to ourselves daily! It will draw us to worship!!

If you don't think you are a Child of God, or part of the people of God. Then I urge you to come to Jesus. He promises that anybody who comes to Him he will not turn away. If you have been forgetting God today or all your life, God still wants to know you and for you to know Him. He wants you to know his Love. A love that can change the very life you have!

Let's preach God's Love for it is Divine and beyond comprehension.