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Resource - Meditations
December 1999
Our God of Grace
Rev. Peter Smit
The LORD said to me, “Go, show
your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an
adulteress. Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn
to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes.”
Hosea 3: 1
Not only do we stand on the eve of a new year, but we stand on the eve
of a new millenium.
The millennium will bring with it many new things; new challenges, new
opportunities, new technology, new problems, new sorrows. As the
millenium approaches its good to focus our eyes away from the hype and
fireworks to one thing that really matters: the amazing Grace of God.
John Newton was a coarse, cruel slave trader. He was converted and
renounced his profession and wrote the heartfelt words “Amazing Grace
how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me”. Newton had seen the
power of God’s grace transform his own heart and life and was staggered
by God’s grace. As it was for Newton so it is for us: God’s gracious
love is the only thing that will restore this broken world, ten, one
hundred or one thousand years from now.
God called one of his prophets to extend amazing grace to one unfaithful
woman. She dressed to entice and gave herself with abandonment to a life
of adultery and prostitution. She conceived her children in
unfaithfulness. Her name was Gomer. In the world’s eyes she would have
been the least likely to receive a prophet’s love and dedication. But
God told Hosea to love her without reserve. Each time she turned away,
Hosea was called to find her and restore her. This relationship became a
living portrait of God’s relationship with his people who, like Gomer,
had wandered away from Him.
Even when all Hosea’s trust lay shattered under the fleeing feet of his
adulterous wife, God called him to go and “show his love to his wife
again, though she was loved by another” (3:1). It was God’s amazing
grace at work in Hosea, that enabled him to reach out again and receive
her in love. If you have ever had your trust shattered, you know the
depth of love needed to reach out and rebuild a relationship, yet again.
This sort of love is nothing short of amazing. Why? Because it loves
despite the hurt, and rejection. It loves despite the costly risk of
reopening wounds, and future disappointment. This love gives despite
humiliation. That’s why it is so amazing.
What Hosea did for a woman named Gomer around 715 BC, God has done right
throughout history. He loved when his people were unlovable. Even when
God’s people embraced false gods, God loved them and called them to
return. Time and time again our heavenly Father reached out to his
people. Yes He did become angry with them for their stubbornness of
heart. But God keeps covenant forever. His compassion never fails. It
was His compassion and love for us that led to the consummate display of
His amazing grace. He gave all that he could. He gave his one and only
Son Jesus.
The Christ child in a manger in the sleepy town of Bethlehem is God’s
greatest declaration of love to this world. So great was His love for
us, that He gave the greatest gift for the greatest need; His one and
only Son for our rebellion and sin (John 3:16).
As Jesus Christ lay sleeping on that Silent and Holy Night, it was as
though God was saying to the world, to us, “I love you. I want you too
to know my forgiveness, cleansing, healing and restoration. I am giving
my Son, to save you, to restore you into fellowship with me so that
finally you will long to be my people, and I will be your God.” The
depth of this love, the extent of it, the sheer volume is too great for
us to comprehend. For He loved us, not when we were lovely, beautiful,
spotless and pure. He loved us when we were rebels and enemies.
For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through
the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be
saved through his life!
(Romans 5:10)
Our name was Gomer. We were the ones who had run away. We were the ones
who had shattered God’s trust under our wayward feet. And yet, He loved
us. He loved us with His amazing grace. And Christ’s birth still
silently reminds us of the unending love that God has for this world,
for you, for me.
Hosea loved Gomer to show us how much God loves us. Jesus suffered the
humiliation of his incarnation, rejection and finally death on a cross
to not only secure our salvation, but to show us just how much God loves
us.
All the Lord God calls us to do is receive this gift, Jesus Christ, as
our Saviour, Lord and King, and then live humbly, completely and wholly
for Him.
Phillip Yancey said at the end of his book, “What’s so amazing about
Grace”, “The world thirsts for grace. When grace descends, the world
falls silent before it.”
This Christmas, let us too, fall silent, in reverence at our Lord’s
amazing Grace. For whatever the new millenium brings only one thing is
sure, as John Newton said, “Tis grace that brought me safe thus far and
grace will lead me home.”
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