Transmission - Video
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Transmission - Devo
Day One - Roar of a lion
Hosea 11:1-11 (NLT) - "When Israel was a child, I loved him, and I called my son out of Egypt. But the more I called to him, the farther he moved from me, offering sacrifices to the images of Baal and burning incense to idols. I myself taught Israel how to walk, leading him along by the hand. But he doesn't know or even care that it was I who took care of him. I led Israel along with my ropes of kindness and love. I lifted the yoke from his neck, and I myself stooped to feed him. "But since my people refuse to return to me, they will return to Egypt and will be forced to serve Assyria. War will swirl through their cities; their enemies will crash through their gates. They will destroy them, trapping them in their own evil plans. For my people are determined to desert me. They call me the Most High, but they don't truly honor me. "Oh, how can I give you up, Israel? How can I let you go? How can I destroy you like Admah or demolish you like Zeboiim? My heart is torn within me, and my compassion overflows. No, I will not unleash my fierce anger. I will not completely destroy Israel, for I am God and not a mere mortal. I am the Holy One living among you, and I will not come to destroy. For someday the people will follow me. I, the LORD, will roar like a lion. And when I roar, my people will return trembling from the west. Like a flock of birds, they will come from Egypt. Trembling like doves, they will return from Assyria. And I will bring them home again," says the LORD.
We live in a world that has a bare-boned concept of love. As we've grown up, we have been hurt ourselves and we have hurt others. Little love is so often the best we can receive from someone else, and loving another translates into giving the distorted love we've experienced to someone else. Even more, these distortions mess up our relationship with God.
But we read in this passage that there is a turning point: O, how can I give you up, Israel? How can I let you go?... My heart is torn within me, and my compassion overflows. We hear God's great love for us. God sets the record straight. God will not destroy us, but save us. He will go after us, while we are still in our worst, in view of His promise - "for someday the people will follow me."
Responding to the Transmitted Message: God heart for us is incredibly passionate, incredibly astonishing. God's love is like the roar of a lion, the desire for his people to return to Him into His true love. Let's spend time receiving God's heart of mercy whether we are at our worst or even best. Let's receive His heart of incredible compassion and love for ourselves and for one another.
