“I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and in justice, in lovingkindness and in compassion, and I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness.” (Hosea 2:19-20)
All relationships require the effort of both parties. You cannot truly have a successful friendship or marriage or business partnership or any other type of relationship without both individuals acting in a fair and honest way with the best interests of the other in mind.
Why should we expect our relationship with God to be different? He promises us His faithfulness, love, and compassion, but it is also predicated upon us likewise seeking Him faithfully. We cannot look to Him to do His part while we willfully act in a way that we know hurts and grieves Him. He doesn’t expect perfection, but a good faith effort to reciprocate love is necessary.
If our relationship with Christ is compared to a marriage (and it is! See Ephesians 5:23-24), then we can fairly ask ourselves… are we holding up our part of the vows of commitment and fidelity?
Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites