Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity. Take words with you and return to the LORD; say to him, "Take away all guilt; accept that which is good, and we will offer the fruit of our lips. Assyria shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses; we will say no more, 'Our God,' to the work of our hands. In you the orphan finds mercy."

I will heal their disloyalty; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them. I will be like the dew of Israel; he shall blossom like the lily, he shall strike root like the forests of Lebanon. His shoots shall spread out; his beauty shall be like the olive tree, and his fragrance like that of Lebanon. They shall again live beneath my shadow, they shall flourish as a garden; they shall blossom like the vine, their fragrance shall be like the wine of Lebanon.

Hosea 14:1-7

Be sorry for disobedience, and not just because you are punished for it. Tell the LORD honestly that you knew His will but you chose to disobey. Cry out for His mercy, and He will forgive you. Praise God, He does forgive.

Repentance keeps the way clear in our walk with God.

Our Daily Bread - July 24, 2004