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Feeling distant from God?  Please take a look with me at what we're told in the book of Hosea about this very concept.

Hosea was a prophet in Israel who served in his role for roughly 60 years.  His book was written sometime between 755 B.C. and 725 B.C. during a very spiritually dark season in Israel's history.

 During that era, Israel was consumed with idolatry, and the nature of their idolatry was both vulgar and blasphemous.  Like many people in our own generation, the people of Israel were highly consumed with the desire to gain the best of what this world can offer.  It was a common belief in the paganism of the day that material prosperity and fruitful crops could be obtained by worshipping the false god Baal and participating in vulgar activities with temple prostitutes.

 I can only imagine how it must have felt for God to witness this spiritual unfaithfulness among the very people He had rescued, redeemed, and called unto Himself.  Sometimes, people picture God as unfeeling and distant, but that's not the image of Him that's painted for us in Scripture.  We're told that He rejoices over His people.  We're also told that His children can grieve His heart.  The book of Hosea reveals the depth of God's emotions toward those He loves.

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