Our world is obsessed with quick answers: instant coffee, instant photography, instant messaging. But some things cannot be fixed in an instant. Hosea's marriage is one of them. It will take time and patience to heal.

Hosea understands that. Hence he tells Gomer, ″You are to live with me for many days; you must not be a prostitute or be intimate with any man, and I will behave the same way toward you″ (Hosea 3:3).

As the prophet opens his arms to Gomer again, he tells her not to play around anymore, or to be intimate with any man. And he adds, ″I will behave the same way toward you″, or literally, ″I will wait for you″. He will wait to be intimate with her again. He will make love to her when she is really committed to him, and not before. That will require real patience.

That's an important lesson for us who live in a time when so few people are willing to wait to have sex. Hosea is showing us that it takes time to grow to love someone deeply. God's purpose is that sex should be the consummation of that intimacy, not a shortcut to it.

Hosea begins to understand that God exercises patience with His people too. Look at verses 4-5: ″For the Israelites will live many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred stones, without ephod or household gods. Afterwards the Israelites will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They will come trembling to the LORD and to his blessings in the last days.″

Hosea sees dark days ahead for Israel: the monarchy and her religious life will fall. She will have nothing for a long time. But one day, in the last days, a new people of God will arise-a people who will be repentant and reverent, seeking to know God and His blessings, and submitting themselves once again to the kingship of David.

Thank God that He did not wash his hands of the human race. He will wait for us to return. He is a God of extraordinary patience. Is He still waiting for you?

Lord God, thank you for not washing your hands of us. Thank you for waiting for me to return to you. Help me to stay with you. In Christ's name, amen.