2023_04_03 Insight Post- Vange Quinn

When I initially read Hosea 11 and Psalm 136, I was immediately struck by how much God truly loves us in our brokenness. God goes the extra mile in demonstrating His constant love and protection for His wayward children. God illustrates His supreme love for us through His Living and Breathing Word by performing supernatural miracles, speaking through his prophets, and finally giving us His precious Son, Jesus, to make a way for us to have a personal and loving relationship with Him.

Israel’s reaction in Hosea 11 is typically human when God rescues them repeatedly. The Israelites show God their gratitude at first, but as time passes, they turn from God and focus on their selfishness and bickering instead of worshipping and praising the love and goodness of God. It is easy to pass judgment on a situation when we are not actively involved in the story. I failed God constantly when I relied on my default and faulty nature instead of turning toward His absolute love and compassion. Most of the time, I feel unworthy when I seek God’s help due to my brokenness.

God tells us repeatedly that “his love endures forever,” a total of twenty-six times in Psalm 136!! Seeing God’s love repeated this many times is encouraging when you and I face a difficult day or season. This love refrain gives us a highly personal glimpse into God’s enormous and everlasting love for us. God’s love for us in Psalm 136 and Hosea 11 reminded me of my Dad’s encompassing and enduring love when he tutored me in algebra and trigonometry in high school. I was not too fond of math because it did not interest me. Initially, I would demand to know the answers without bothering to learn the crucial steps in solving the problems. Over time, with Dad’s systematic teaching and patience, he taught me the importance of taking the steps for solving for X and applying the principles of math in everyday life. Dad’s early lessons in methodical problem solving has greatly helped me as a web developer as I develop solutions to meet clients’ needs. I am forever grateful for my Dad’s endurance in putting up with his lively teenage daughter! How we laughed later about our tutoring session together!

I cannot pretend, imagine, or attempt to calculate the dimensions of His love since God operates outside of time and space. Ephesians 3:17-20 (NIV) gives us a much fuller definition and understanding of God’s profound love for us.

“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

Knowing that God’s love for us is forever and permanent is exceptionally comforting. It should fill us with confidence and joy as we stride forward in God’s love and fulfill His master plan of salvation in and through His son Jesus Christ.

Vange Quinn
New Hope Intern