When she runs after her lovers, she won't be able to catch them. She will search for them but not find them. Then she will think, ‘I might as well return to my husband, for I was better off with him than I am now.' Hosea 2:7
For me, coffee essential in the mornings. Pouring a cup of coffee is one of the first things I do to begin each day. Drinking coffee is even more important to me than drinking water. As much as I love my morning coffee, my obsession can be a problem. It particularly becomes a problem when I forgo drinking water and only drink coffee in the morning, which happens more often than it should. I find myself thirsty for the rest of the morning until I finally drink water. Coffee tastes good, and it gives me energy, but it does not quench my thirst. Only water can truly satisfy my thirst. I like coffee. I need water.
Similarly, there is a point when we realize that the other things we run after will not satisfy. They may seem good or give us energy, but they will not fully fulfill our deepest needs. This truth is part of God's message to Israel in Hosea chapter two. Israel has been worshiping idols, and God is not pleased. He says that the people of Israel will chase after other lovers, other gods, and not be satisfied by them.
For Israel, worshiping other gods may have felt good at the moment, but ultimately, it fell short. It was not enough. In the end, only God could fulfill their needs.
The same is true for us. All of the things that we run to, besides God, may bring temporary happiness, but ultimately, they will not be enough. They will not satisfy our deepest longings and needs. Only God does that. He knows us fully, and He is perfectly capable to provide and care for us.
What are you running to today? Are you running to something else besides God? These things may satisfy in the moment, but they will never be enough for us. Only God satisfies. He is and always will be enough.
Remember today that only God can truly satisfy your deepest needs. Take one small step away from anything that is distracting you from your relationship with God. This step could be spending time with God before you spend time with people, deleting social media from your phone, or taking a break from your favorite pastime that is consuming too much of your time and attention. When you decide what step you need to take, write it down in your notes and take that step today.
“Yet the time will come when Israel’s people will be like the sands of the seashore—too many to count! Then, at the place where they were told, ‘You are not my people,’ it will be said, ‘You are children of the living God.’ Then the people of Judah and Israel will unite together. They will choose one leader for themselves, and they will return from exile together. What a day that will be—the day of Jezreel—when God will again plant his people in his land.
“In that day you will call your brothers Ammi—‘My people.’ And you will call your sisters Ruhamah—‘The ones I love.’
“But now bring charges against Israel—your mother—
for she is no longer my wife,
and I am no longer her husband.
Tell her to remove the prostitute’s makeup from her face
and the clothing that exposes her breasts.
Otherwise, I will strip her as naked
as she was on the day she was born.
I will leave her to die of thirst,
as in a dry and barren wilderness.
And I will not love her children,
for they were conceived in prostitution.
Their mother is a shameless prostitute
and became pregnant in a shameful way.
She said, ‘I’ll run after other lovers
and sell myself to them for food and water,
for clothing of wool and linen,
and for olive oil and drinks.’
“For this reason I will fence her in with thornbushes.
I will block her path with a wall
to make her lose her way.
When she runs after her lovers,
she won’t be able to catch them.
She will search for them
but not find them.
Then she will think,
‘I might as well return to my husband,
for I was better off with him than I am now.’
