Hosea 2:19-20 “I will make you my wife forever, showing you righteousness and justice, unfailing love and compassion. I will be faithful to you and make you mine.”
Commitment is something our world knows little about. We want commitment to be easy, convenient, painless and cheap. Commitment is none of those things.
Commitment never stops trying. Commitment never tries stopping. Hebrews 12:1 drives home a powerful truth, “Let us run the race that is before us and never give up.” A commitment is a covenant, a promise or pledge, and a contract.
Cortes, the Spanish explorer discovered what we know today as Mexico. He sailed in several boats with many men committed to conquering and settling an unknown land. When they arrived, the men looked around at an undiscovered world and were terrified.
Sensing the fear of his men, Cortes gathered them all on shore and set fire to their ships. He then announced, “Now there can be no turning back.” That is the picture of commitment–no turning back, no escape clauses and no option for retreat.
Love that never gives up can hold on because of commitment as it looks past the circumstance and locks its gaze on the promise of the covenant with God.
Hosea had a decision to make. I’m sure his feelings told him to run as fast and as far away as he could. Hosea was angry, hurt and embarrassed. Everyone knew what Gomer was doing because it had been going on for some time. Remember, Hosea wasn’t even sure that he was the father of his second and third child, but he chose to stay because he chose commitment–commitment to his wife and to his God.
Commitment sometimes means sacrificing your own happiness for a time in order to redeem the relationship. God called Hosea to commitment the first time in marriage. He now calls him to show his love “again.” “Show” means to be a “friend or ally” and to focus on the needs of others.
