In case you missed it, you can read Part 1 of this little “series” here.

We are looking a little deeper into the following passage of Scripture:

I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices.
I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings.
Hosea 6:6, NLT

Specifically, we are going to unpack the first “command” in this passage: “to show love”. Let’s start with the words themselves. Of course these are Hebrew words:

Chasad : to show kindness (this is the “show” part of the phrase)
Hesed : love or affection that is steadfast based on a prior relationship, devotion

Together, these words translate into the phrase we see above: “show love”. Now let’s look at how other translations interpret this particular phrase:

NIV: “mercy”
ESV: “steadfast love”
NET: “faithfulness”
NASB: “loyalty”

That helped, right? Not a single version uses the same words or phrases to translate this particular set of words.  No worries, this just means that either it’s a hard one to translate or that it just has that many meanings…so it isn’t a “set in stone” kind of phrase.

That’s where context can help us out. In Hosea, God is trying to call his people back to Him. They have been acting as prostitutes (His words, not mine) and He wants them to return. He doesn’t want them to just “follow the letter of the law”, He wants so much more. He wants their hearts…He wants them to know and love Him because they choose to. He wants more than sacrifice that’s offered out of duty.

The “show love” that’s referenced here isn’t about us showing love to others. It’s about us showing love, faithfulness, loyalty, and mercy to God! He wants us to show Him love instead of acting like a prostitute and giving that “love” to anything that catches our fancy or draws our attention or gives us something we think we want or need.

He wants more than our sacrifice…He wants us to show Him love based on a real relationship with Him. Hasn’t that been God’s message from the very beginning? Wasn’t that Jesus’ message? He wants to know us and wants us to love Him (i.e.: Mark 12:30).

So the first “command” here is about loving God with everything we have…not out of duty, but because we have a relationship with Him. He wants us to show Him our love…it means something to Him. More to come…

To you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies!
Do good to those who hate you.
Bless those who curse you.
Pray for those who hurt you.
Luke 6:27-28, NLT

Now this is tough love! And it’s not fair. It’s backwards. Makes you wonder what Jesus was thinking sometimes doesn’t it? I mean come on…love your enemies? Do good to those who hate you? Pray for the people in your life that hurt you (and not just hurt you once, but that hurt you over and over again!)? He just can’t be serious!

Or can He?

And if He is serious…why? Why should we act this way? It certainly isn’t in our nature (pretty much the exact opposite is our nature). Why does Jesus command us to love like this? Two reasons…

One: He calls us to be different, and that often means taking the rougher road (the 4×4 road instead of the paved road). Loving those who already love us is the easy way, and according to Jesus it’s what everyone else is doing already:

If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that?
Even sinners love those who love them!
Luke 6:32,NLT

Two: Because loving those who we don’t want to love and loving those who hurt us is how God acts…and He wants us to act like our Father. He wants us to be like Him. Imagine that! I don’t know about you, but that’s what I strive for pretty much every day…to be like my Father.

Love your enemies…
Then…you will be acting as children of the Most High,
for He is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked.
You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.
Luke 6:35-36, NLT

Don’t miss who he’s talking about here. Who has he been kind to? “Those who are unthankful and wicked.” Hmmm…sounds a lot like a guy I know…I see him in the mirror every day! God has been (and still is) kind and compassionate to me. All He asks is that I return the favor to others.

Yes, it’s tough love. But is anything really worth doing ever easy?

This has been kind of a crazy day (a crazy few days to be more precise). In the midst of all the hastle of traveling and attending a conference God got ahold of me today about something I have struggled with for a looooong time…and frankly still do. But God is working and speaking.

Here’s the verse He used:

For the Lord your God is living among you.
He is a mighty savior.
He will take delight in you with gladness.
With His love, he will calm your fears.
He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.
Zephaniah 3:17, NLT

God…the God of the universe…delights and rejoices in His relationship with us. And there it is. Really? I get that God loves us. Even puts up with us. But delights and rejoices? I confess. I struggle with that. Partly because I don’t feel it very often…and I just want to feel God’s love and delight. It’s the desire of my heart.

I read these words and I know God treasures a rich, intimate relationship with me. I read that He desires fellowship with me. But I don’t often feel it and that is wreaking havoc in my spiritual life! I pray for it…I teach about it…I talk about it…

Is it too much to ask? Is it because of my childhood relationships? Is God testing my resolve? I’m not sure, but it is reassuring to read about His delight and His love. And I’m not giving up on it.

Please pray for me on this point…and share your experiences and thoughts on the topic. And always remember that God delights in YOU!