Remaining Faithful

Background Story: There was a prophet of God named Hosea. God told Hosea to marry a woman who was not faithful to him as an example of how the people of Israel were being unfaithful to God.

Read Hosea 2:19-20

I will betroth you to me forever;
    I will betroth you inrighteousness and justice,
    in love and compassion.
²⁰I will betroth you infaithfulness,
    and you will acknowledge the Lord.

Big Idea: Pursue a faithful walk with God.

God was angry with Israel and called them an unfaithful wife in their relationship with them. Today, let’s dig deeper in the book of Hosea to see some of the ways they were unfaithful to God looking for application for our own lives.

-Inconsistent Devotion: God said to the people of Israel, “Your love is like the morning mist, like the early dew that disappears” (Hosea 6:4). God said, “he does not return to the Lord his God or search for him” (Hosea 7:10). They pursued God in crisis or when they needed something from Him; but when life was good, they disappeared and stopped seeking Him. Their love for God was inconsistent and fickle changing day to day.

-Replaced Affection and Worship: God said, “With their silver and gold they make idols for themselves” (Hosea 8:4). They began lifting other things in their lives above God making idols out of their possessions and blessings. Instead of loving and worshipping God, they replaced Him with things.

-Replaced Security: God said, “Israel has forgotten their Maker and built palaces” (Hosea 8:14). They stopped relying on the God who had created and sustained them and began relying on things to give them security, safety and a future.

All of these things are easy to do. We get busy in life and we forget. We forget Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. We forget that God saved us for relationship with Him and stop pursuing Him. And in this forgetfulness, we can take back our lives and start living for ourselves again. We stop seeking Him, stop surrendering, and can make ourselves a new god out of people, possessions or blessings.

When we find ourselves being unfaithful, what can we do? “Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord” (Hosea 10:12). Our hearts like the unplowed dirt can become hardened. Break it up. Confess sin, idols and unfaithfulness to God and ask Him to “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalms 51:10). Begin to sow seeds of righteousness by getting back into God’s word and removing sin. God wants to be Lord of your teen years but also continue as Lord of your adulthood and old age. He desires relationship with you and want to, “betroth you to me forever” (Hosea 2:19).

Bible Devotions for Teens