“How do I love again?”

 

Oh it was such a delightful day. Since then, you’ve been mistreated, cheated on, there’s no love, the faithfulness has gone, and you ask yourself, “How do I love again?”

That was Hosea’s predicament (see Hosea 1-3). His wife Gomer, the poster child for adultery, had abandoned him and their three children, but instead of divorcing her, suing for full custody, turning away, never looking back, and not even sparing a cursory sideways glance in her direction, Hosea, not only forgives his wife but spends money to buy her freedom.

You see, concerning that, sometimes we – husbands and wives – deceive ourselves, thinking we’d be better off elsewhere and we end up in situations that we can’t easily get out of. We find ourselves worse off than we ever were before.

That’s what happened to Gomer and rather than return home, she sold herself into slavery. Hosea had to buy her freedom.

But why didn’t Hosea just forget about her, leave her in her self-created mire and move on? There could only be one answer, God. God is the only one who could cause you to love again. Whether it’s that same person who has been caught up in a cycle of unfaithfulness or someone totally new, you still have to learn to love again.

To love again is an emotional healing process that takes time. When we are hurt badly, those wounds run deep and are terribly infected.

To love again requires those infected wounds to be opened and the poison removed. God alone knows how to perform this type of surgical procedure properly and thoroughly.

“Come and let us return [in repentance] to the Lord, For He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bandage us.” – Hosea 6:1 (AMP)

Now, turning to look into a mirror, ask yourself honestly: “How many times have I been unfaithful, to others and to God?”

Emotional hurt is not exclusive to married couples. Every single day people hurt and are being hurt, emotionally as well as physically. Sometimes it is done deliberately, and at other times it is by accident or through ignorance – by words and by actions. But, however caused, that pain tears you apart, creates animosity, makes enemies, and destroys relationships.

Beloved, as you read the book of Hosea, recognize God’s unconditional love for you, His mercy and faithfulness towards you, and His utter forgiveness, coursing through the pages of this incredible story of true love, God’s love.

And as you read, know that God will never let you down, He never turns away from you no matter how often you turn away from Him. God is always ready and waiting to give you a fresh start, a new beginning.

Return to God, allow Him to heal you, remove the infection, bind up your wounds, and repair your broken heart, so that you can love again.

Amen†

 

Shelley Johnson “How do I love again?” © 2016 revisited July 17, 2025