Hosea 3

3:1 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." (NIV)

With the quick lash of the whip, the breaking skin as the nails were driven into His hands, and feet. The sharp twinge of pain as the spear was thrust into His side. In crimson streams the blood of Jesus flowed down the splintery tree, and ran from the cross. Who could understand such love, sacrifice, forgiveness, and mercy? The very people that He came to save, to redeem were the ones who drove the nails into his hands and feet.

Jesus was perfect, flawless, yet He became sin that we might be free from its curse. While sin gripped our very soul, while it ate away at our hearts. As sin feasted upon the pleasure of holding us captive, Jesus Christ took upon Himself the curse of the law. Gal 3:13 "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law; being made a curse for us; for it is written cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree."  

Though we turned our backs on Him, He still died for us. When we knew we were wrong, and yet we still continued in our sin; His mercy was waiting all the while. Just as Hosea went back and took his wife and loved her despite her sinful past. God does the same for us. He has taken all our iniquities and cast them into the sea. His blood has covered our past. We are no longer a slave to yesterday's mistakes, but we are free. Do not let your past dictate who you are today. Do not let it blind you from what God wants you to do. It has been covered by the blood!

Ryan Denard