The Heart of a Father

18 “I have surely heard Ephraim grieving,
‘You have chastised me, and I was chastised,
Like an untrained calf;
Bring me back that I may be restored,
For You are the Lord my God.
19 ‘For after I turned back, I repented;
And after I was instructed, I smote on my thigh;
I was ashamed and also humiliated
Because I bore the reproach of my youth.’
20 “Is Ephraim My dear son?
Is he a delightful child?
Indeed, as often as I have spoken against him,
I certainly still remember him;
Therefore My heart yearns for him;
I will surely have mercy on him,” declares the Lord.

I have a son named Ryan. He is a real deight. I love him so much, even when I yell at him. The other night, he didn't eat supper. He didn't out and out refuse, he just goofed off and didn't eat. When I gave up and tried to send him to bed he cried, "I'm starving." So I yelled at him to start eating. He sat at the table for about 2 hours, and ate 6 green beans and one bite of pork chop. And he went to bed hungry and crying at 9:30.
I went in to pray with him, and I'm so glad I did. He wrapped his little arms around me, and cried. But there were no complaints of hunger or thirst. He just wanted a little comfort. We said our prayers together, and he was ready to go to sleep. I felt so much better.
The Father here speaks of the nation of Judah. "I remember him. My heart yearns for him. I will have mercy." Okay, now I'm beginning to understand the heart of God a little bit more. With that understanding comes a bit more trust. How can God forgive me the things I have done? Well, He is a father, and His heart yearns for me.