This post is Day 27 in a series of studies about “Babies and Children”. I strongly suggest you begin with the introduction to this study, please click here to read it.

Feel free to comment below with your own thoughts about each verse and how you will be acting on each thought. Also, if you haven’t yet signed up to receive the notifications of new studies, you can do that today. (The form is at the bottom of the page).

Babies and Children – Day 27

God welcomes new Christians into His worldwide family, and He grieves when we do not follow His commands, when we go off the rails. But He is always present and always ready to welcome rebellious ones on their return home. As we read in the story of the prodigal son.

Hosea 11:1

When Israel was a child I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son.

The Thought

This verse is often used as a cross reference to the verse in Matthew 2:13. We read that Mary and Joseph went to live in Egypt for a while, to flee the jealousy of Herod who reacted badly to the visit of the wise men from the east. But Hosea was actually speaking about the nation of Israel, and God’s sadness at how they have strayed from His plans for them. He had rescued them from slavery in Egypt. We have the whole books of Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers telling us that story.

The prophet Hosea tells us much of the sadness of a loving God over Israel’s behaviour. Any parent who has a rebellious child will be touched by these verses. The Lord describes teaching Israel to walk (v3), lifting them into His arms (v4), and settling them in their own homes (v11).

God still feels the same about His family on earth today. He welcomes new Christians into His worldwide family, and He grieves when we don’t follow His commands, when we go off the rails. But He is always present and ready to welcome rebellious ones on their return home. As we read in the story of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32).

Action

Read Hosea 11 today for a description of how God feels about Israel and what He did for them. Feel His pain as He recounts the good things He did. And their rebellion in return!

Read on through the chapter and feel God’s emotions change as He realises He cannot and will not give up on the people He created. Even though they are rebellious.

Know in your heart of hearts that He feels the same about you. Allow yourself to rejoice today that you are one of God’s children. You are loved by your Heavenly father.

For a full list of online studies available on this site, please click here.

If there is a subject you would like to see on this site, please use the comment section below or drop us an email (there’s a link at the very top of the page). We can’t promise to cover them all, and our studies are usually prepared a month or two in advance, so please be patient.

For a full list of physical resources available through this site, please click here.