Hosea 11:1-4
Commitment is not a word in our vocabulary today, simply because we have been taught to hold out until we have exhausted all other options. That might be fine if we were considering a date for a casual event, but not if we are choosing a Savior for eternity.
God chose the people of Israel to be His “peculiar” treasure like a husband and wife choose each other; it was a relationship of commitment and trust. Sadly, Israel didn’t make the same commitment to God as God made to them, and that lack of commitment led the people away from that level of intimacy God desired to have with them. Usually, it required a major crisis to remind them of God’s faithfulness to them, even when they had not been faithful to Him.
As every parent knows, a broken heart is the price we often pay to have the opportunity to demonstrate our unconditional love to and for our children. Even when they are disappointing or willfully disobedient to us, our commitment to them remains, and so is God’s commitment to us as His children.
You already know the level of God’s commitment to you – “greater love hath no man than this” – but God didn’t stop showing His love for us at the cross: He continues to prove Himself faithful to us through His divine provision, protection, purpose, and direction. He feeds us from His word; He nourishes us through prayer and praise and He warms us through our fellowship with other believers.
But what is the level of your commitment to Him? Years ago, someone said, “If you don’t feel as close to God as you once did – who moved?” If you want to draw closer to God during this advent season, turn to Him! You will not find the finger of condemnation, but you will find His arms of consolation, and I can assure you, having run to those arms many times, they are arms of love!
Nearer, still nearer, nothing I bring,
Naught as an offering to Jesus, my king;
Only my sinful, now contrite heart.
Grant me the cleansing Thy blood doth impart.
Grant me the cleansing Thy blood doth impart.
Challenge:
- Ask each family member to make individual commitments to each other for the next month.
- Make them age-appropriate, but hard enough to require discipline and determination.
- Ask each family member to make their own individual commitments unto the Lord, such as to pray, read the Bible, share the gospel.