My love, why do you cheat on Me? Have I not espoused you to Myself? Why then do you run to your old loves?

“They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man's, shall he return unto her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the LORD.” -Jeremiah 3:1

You say in the pride of you heart, “but I have a life; let me live my own life.” Such words grieve Me exceedingly, for who gave you life? Are you not dead to your own self? My love, you were dead in your trespasses and sins when I found you, and yet I loved you, and gave My life for you.

“Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” -Colossians 3:2-3

Will you use Me only for your gain? I love you more than you can possibly imagine, and I delight to give you My salvation - yet why do you purpose in your heart to use Me only for your own gain? Will you marry only for My inheritance?

Beloved, you called to Me and asked for mercy, and without fail I answered you, and I imparted unto you My salvation. Yet soon thereafter, you turned your face from Me, continuing in your old ways, and looking to your old loves. Why have you dealt so treacherously with Me when I have been so faithful to you? Do you not know that I can and will give you so much more than all others? I want only to give. I want only to bless. Yet when I come to embrace you, a knife of deceit is in your hand. I draw you near to Me, and a dagger of unfaithfulness proceeds from you.

Your adulteries sting Me, and your cheatings are as bitterness to Me. In My embrace, I will only love, and only heal, and only bless - yet you only turn from Me. Your sayings are continually, “forgive me,” and “I am sorry.” Yet you turn to Me only half-heartedly. You are a faker. You leave behind nothing but a trail of shadows; there are nothing but broken pieces left in your paths. Such things grieve Me sorely, for you do not love Me as you ought.

Am I not to you as a faithful husband? Yet you join yourself to Me for but a moment; you join for My riches, and for My inheritance, and you run off and give your special love to the vilest of offenders. You have condemned and crucified the Lord of life, and have run off after that criminal Barabbas.

Truly, even those things which you call “good” are vile to Me, so long as they steal away your love from Me. Oh My love! I am jealous over you with a burning and fiery jealousy! Have I not bought you with a very great price? I have purchased you with My very own blood! Why then do you give your love to another? Why will you not trust Me with all your heart? I am your husband: your ever-faithful, ever-true, ever-patient, and ever-merciful husband. When will you see that in the very places where you have been in pain and confusion, it is there that you have turned away from Me?

“I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts;” -Isaiah 65:2

My precious one, when will you learn? Do you not know that that which is wholly surrendered to Me is free, but that which is kept back is bound? Whatsoever thing you keep to yourself, the same is bitterness to your soul. Whatsoever you will not yield, and whatsoever you will not give up to Me, the same is as a curse to you. And yet you ask, “why does my God afflict me?” Dear, do you not know that your own lusts and thoughts bring you into this affliction? I bring only freedom. I am only salvation. I am light, and in Me is no darkness at all.

My dear love, I will bear you through even hard times. My love will strengthen your life and make your pains bearable. You will have joy, even in the dry seasons; even in your times of agony you will rejoice. The strength of My hand shall uphold you, and with the care of My fingers I shall stop up the breaches and wounds of your heart. Have I not sent unto you the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, for your healing and help? But sadly I ask, why do you forsake Me? Why do you continually cheat on Me?

“And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” -Ephesians 4:30

Does not a faithful and true husband deserve much better than this? I long to give you My love. I long to bless. I long to comfort you. I long to take away your deep sorrows. Yet how can I if you refuse Me? I offer you My heart, yet you refuse even My hand. Your mind is darkened, and your brow is hardened against Me. Your face is turned, and your steps are slanted from Me.

Beloved, have I not saved you from your sins? Why then do you not allow Me one hairsbreadth into your life, as if it were still your own? Did I not say, “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26)? Am I a God of hate, or a God of love? Have I not said these things because I love you? That which you cling to in your heart is that which will vex you, except it be that you cling to Me. How can you care for such ones if you first do not expel them from the high places of your heart? How can love and peace flow from your heart if the very Prince of peace - the King of love - is not sitting on His throne?

Truly, your heart is a special and dear throne to Me, and yet you cast Me down and out with your own selfishness, and with the ones you love. You cast Me out, and fill your beautiful temple with abominable and repulsive things. You cast down goodness itself, and set up within your heart vain idols. You cast down your very Creator, and set up in your heart the things of My creation - the things which you love - thinking to increase your love. But, My precious treasure, I am love.

Why do you seek only to steal away My salvation, and rob Me of My inheritance? Oh beloved, My salvation is inexhaustible, and My inheritance unto everlasting. My sweet one, My storehouses are infinite! I will give to you even more than you could ever need. Why will you steal?

“Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.” -Isaiah 55:1-2

My rebellious yet ever-beloved spouse, how I still love you! How My heart still pulses for you! Would it not be much more pleasant to return unto Me in all faithfulness? So long as you abide with Me, I will give to you all that you desire. I will fulfill your deepest longings. Why do you run to My enemies? This is to Me a sharp slip of bitterness, and My jealousy burns as a consuming fire.

Return to Me, and I will heal you. Return, and turn to Me with your whole heart, and do not cling to your old ways, nor to your old loves. I will give to you all that you will ever need, lo, even more: your cup shall run over.