Daily Life: A Spirit of Prostitution

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Right now I'm reading through the book of Hosea. After I had read it for the very first time years ago I remembered thinking that this was so unfair. God had commanded Hosea to marry a woman who was know for being a prostitute and an adulterous woman.  When they married there was no heart change in Gomer (or at least what was recorded) and Hosea and Gomer had three children.  Each child they had were named a name that meant something unpleasant.  This doesn't really sound like a great marriage to me!

And I wonder if Hosea ever had thoughts like "Why me God?  Why, after being such a faithful servant of yours would you command me to marry a woman who brings heartache and adultery into my life?"  I wonder how he was feeling.

After having three children together Hosea found his wife in the bed of another man.  She had gone back to being a prostitute.  I can only imagine what Hosea was thinking now.  He had taken her into his home, married her, had three children by her, and loved her as a husband should love a wife.  He cared for her and looked after their children and look what had happened.  It seemed like nothing he could do would keep her close to him.

But in chapter three God commanded that Hosea "go show your love to your wife again" and take her back.  This was to signify the relationship between God and his chosen people Israel.  Israel had turned their back on God so many times.  They reveled in their sin and made false gods, and they had a "spirit of prostitution" but in the end God still took them back.  Hosea had to go and buy his wife for fifteen shekels of silver as well as some other goods in order to get his wife back.  That is the kind of love that no one sees today.  Imagine the betrayal and the pain that Hosea was feeling.  Yet he still submitted to God and loved Gomer like God loves his people.

When do I have a "spirit of prostitution"?  I am constantly trying to make myself happy but I need to realize that I need to stop all those things and realize that I can only go to God for fulfillment. I don't only want to seek God in my misery, but I want to discover Him every day. He's a God who loves me like this .... how can I not love Him back?