The worst thing that can happen to you in this life is not death, not loss of health, not the loss of a job, not a loss of a loved one etc...Whatever evil you can think of in this life is not the worse thing that can happen to you. The worst thing that can happen to anyone in this life is when God declares " you are joined to your idol, leave him alone." 😱 (Hosea 4:17) To be forsaken by God is the greatest calamity in existence. To be forsaken by God is to be forsaken of true joy, true peace, true contentment and of life itself. To be forsaken by God is to literally receive a death sentence, for there is no life outside of God.
Now why would God forsake anyone ? Why would the loving, merciful God forsake any of His creatures? I mean God so love us that He was willing to sacrifice Himself to save us, to reconcile us to Himself, so what could cause the loving Savior to forsake those He died for ? Notice what the verse said again. Hosea 4:17, Ephraim is joined to idols; leave him alone! The term joined here is similar to a marriage relationship 🤵🏾👰🏽. Like when God said in Genesis chapter 2 a man will join his wife and become one flesh. What God is saying here is that "Ephraim is married to his idol, leave him alone." Ephraim here represents all who forsake God for other lovers .
Have you ever loved someone and wanted to be with him/her, wanted for him/her to be your spouse 🤵🏾👰🏽? And so you pursue her, utter sweet words to her, give her gifts 🎁, express how much you love her, be attentive to her, sacrifice your time for her , write her love notes, do all you can to show her how much she means to you and how you want her to be yours but she keeps rejecting you, she wants your words, your attention, your gifts but she keep refusing you. You keep trying thinking that one day she will say yes to your love, hope is still alived in your heart despite many rejections .
But one day you hear she has been engaged to someone else and is getting married 💔. What would you as a respectable person? You would say " she is joined to her lover, leave her alone." With tears in your eyes 😥, a broken heart in your chest 💔, you would utter leave her alone because she has clearly rejected me. She has takeb my gifts and give them to her lovers. She has rejected me and all that I stand for and chose someone else for her spouse. She has rejected me as the source of her joy to cling to someone else, leave her alone. She has abandoned me, forsaken me and I have no choice but to accept her choice and to forsake her 😥. My heart is broken within me ,but leave her alone.
This heartbreaking love story is the story of God and many of us. God blesses us daily, He has showered with many gifts, He gave us His bible as His love letter to us, telling us how much He loves us " with an everlasting love." And as the highest demonstration of His love, "God gave His only Son for us." Jesus said "I lay down my life for you." "I love you more than life itself, I want to be with you, I want you to be by my side forever. " In me you will find peace and joy for your soul, come and join with me, come and be one with me , " I love you. " But many of us say no!
We say no Jesus! I want your gifts but I don't want to be with you. I want heaven but I don't want you. When the question is asked ? Whom do you prefer to be your lover, who do you love more than Jesus ? Our heart answer is ," I love my sins more than Jesus, I love my spouse more than Jesus, I love my children, my boyfriend/girlfriend, my money ,my house , my pride, my pleasure, my anger, my jealousy, my friends, my job etc.. more than Jesus. I love everything and anything else more than Jesus. The way we live, the things we pursue and cry for reveal our true love .
And then there comes a time, when you don't even know it when you make a final decision and say I prefer my sin more than Jesus, I prefer my boyfriend/girlfriend more than Jesus, I prefer this life more then Jesus. Then Jesus with tears in His eyes 😥, with a broken heart 💔, with great sorrow utter the dreadful words, " he is joined to his idol, leave him alone, she is joined to her idol; leave her alone ." At time moment you are utterly deserted by the Holy Spirit of God, for you have committed the unpardonable sin, you have chose idols above the Lord God and you will no more return, but be on the way to everlasting destruction. For to forsake the Lord is to forsake life itself.
My prayer is, Lord help me to forsake all other lovers, help me to forsake all idols, all sins and to cling to you my only source of peace, joy and everlasting life. Help me to Lord to be faithful unto you at all cost and to abide in your love 🙏🏾
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