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Our text today is Hosea 11:1:

When Israel was a child, I loved him,
and out of Egypt I called my son. — Hosea 11:1

One of the hardest things for people to believe is that God genuinely loves them. Even believers sometimes carry the wrong view of God and His love for them. God does not merely tolerate us. God does not reluctantly put up with us. God does not accept us unwillingly. God perfectly loves those who are His.

"When Israel was a child, I loved him."

Notice where this chapter starts. God looks back before Israel's rebellion, failure, and wandering. He begins with His love for them when they were barely more than a budding nation.

Before their drifting, there was His affection. Before their rebellion, there was His pursuit. Before they even understood who He was, God had already set His covenant love on them.

That's important because true love begins with God. His love initiates love. His love is steadfast. And in His mercy, He made a way to deal with our sin through the sacrifice of His Son so wandering people like us could be brought near again.

And honestly, many people struggle to believe this because earthly love has often been inconsistent. Some grew up with distant fathers, absent fathers, harsh fathers, passive fathers, or conditional love. Others have spent years trying to prove themselves valuable enough to be loved at all.

That pain shapes how people see their heavenly Father. So they run from Him. Hide from Him. Distrust Him. Keep Him at a distance.

But Hosea 11 reminds us that God is not pulling away from His people. He is calling for them.

"Out of Egypt I called my son."

Matthew later points to this verse as ultimately fulfilled in Jesus. Jesus became the true Son who succeeded where Israel failed. And through Him, wandering people like us can be brought back into the Father's family.

That means this chapter is not just about Israel. It's about you. You may have wandered. You may have resisted God. You may feel ashamed, distant, or spiritually exhausted. But none of that changes this truth:

God still calls people He loves.

So stop seeing God merely as someone waiting to punish you. See Him as the Father you keep running from. And maybe your exhaustion is not just physical. Maybe it is the exhaustion of trying to live loved without actually receiving the Father's love.

You do not have to keep running. You can come home to the Father today.

DO THIS:
Stop striving for a few moments today. Sit quietly with God and honestly tell Him where you have been running, hiding, or trying to earn love He already offers through Christ.

ASK THIS:
What has shaped my view of God's love?
Where have I been running from the Father?
Am I trying to earn what God freely offers through Jesus?
PRAY THIS:
Father, thank you for loving me before I ever understood you fully. Help me stop running from your love and teach me to rest in your grace through Jesus Christ. Amen.

PLAY THIS:
"Good Good Father"