“How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel?” ~ Hosea 11:8
REFERENCE:
“How can I” in this verse is not about the inability to do a thing; it is God declaring the absurdity of doing it. It is like someone saying, “How can I stop following Jesus?” It is not because the person cannot stop following Jesus, but why should they; it would be absurd to do so. So, when God said, “How can I give you up,” He said to Israel, “Don’t ever think that I would do that; it will never cross My mind to abandon you or give you up. Don’t let it bother you at all.”
Why did God say this to Israel? Covenant. He entered a perpetual covenant of love with Israel’s fathers, and He is a covenant-keeping God. It will be difficult for Him to let out the total weight of His wrath on Israel and break off His relationship with them despite their misdeeds; His heart of love will not permit it, for it yearns within Him for Ephraim, like a mother’s for her infant.
I imagine that God could not handle Israel being annihilated or severely punished; it would break His heart and mean that He violated His covenant with their fathers. Samuel told Israel: “For the LORD will not forsake His people, for His great name’s sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you His people” (1 Samuel 12:22). God will keep His covenant with you and I, too.
As God’s beloved children, we can be confident in His love that He will never allow the same fate that befalls the unjust (Sodom and Gomorrah) to befall us; we shall only see the reward of the unjust. Don’t let the devil deceive you that you are under God’s curse or displeasure; you are a loved child of God; covenant is speaking for you…covenant made in Jesus’ blood.
God is not about to abandon or forget you. He is not so mad with you that He will leave you at the mercy of satan’s wickedness. God is saying to you this morning, “How can I give you up? How can I stop loving you? How can I forget that you can’t proceed with that mission without Me? How can I forget the goals and vision you shared with Me? How can I turn My back on you at this point? It is absolutely impossible. You have Me on your team always. You will make it!”
PHOTO QUOTE
ADDITIONAL TEXTS:
Deuteronomy 31:8, Joshua 1:5-9, and Hebrews 13:5-6
PRAYER:
+ Thank You, Father, for Your unchanging covenant of perpetual commitment and love.
+ I abandon and silence every negative or fearful thought that plagues my mind about my future and my assignment in life.
+ Lord, as You stood by Joshua to fulfill his assignment, I rejoice that You are with me, and I will fulfill my mission, too.
