Early Away

These words break my heart, and when I read them all I can think is, please God, don't let this be me.

What shall I do with you, O Ephraim?
   What shall I do with you, O Judah?
Your love is like a morning cloud,
   like the dew that goes early away...

(Hosea 6 :4)

Even now as I write them here, they prick at my insides, they peel back a veneer of devotion to reveal the weak, fragile sort of love hidden beneath. Like a morning cloud, like dew that goes early away...

The verse before this says what His love is like:

Let us know; let us press on to know the LORD;
   his going out is sure as the dawn;
he will come to us as the showers,
   as the spring rains that water the earth. 

(Hosea 6:3)

And here:

Sow for yourselves righteousness;
   reap steadfast love;
   break up your fallow ground,
for it is the time to seek the LORD,
   that he may come and rain righteousness upon you. 

(Hosea 10:12)

It's raining here today, and all I can think about is that it looks like love coming down. Faithfulness in the face of unbelief. Have I given him feeble love, like weak morning light that can't even work up the strength to make it's way through the clouds to heat the earth. Diluted, spent. Have I given my faithfulness to other things when it belongs only to Him?

He asks for one thing, and it sets free in me a soul-deep longing.

 I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,

   the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

(Hosea 6:6)

I want it to rain, and I want to love Him because He alone is my treasure. God, break up my fallow ground, give me steadfast love for You.