“I Will Heal Their
Waywardness”
Return, O Israel,
to the LORD your God. Your sins have
been your downfall!
Take words with you
and return to the LORD. Say to him: "Forgive all our sins and receive us
graciously, that we may offer the fruit of our lips. Assyria
cannot save us; we will not mount war-horses. We will never again say 'Our
gods' to what our own hands have made, for in you the fatherless find
compassion."
"I will heal
their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them.
I will be like the dew to Israel;
he will blossom like a lily. Like a cedar of Lebanon he will send down his
roots; his young shoots will grow. His splendor will be like an olive tree, his
fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon. Men will dwell again in his shade. He will
flourish like the grain. He will blossom like a vine, and his fame will be like
the wine from Lebanon.
O Ephraim, what more have I to do with idols? I will answer him and care for
him. I am like a green pine tree; your fruitfulness comes from me."
Who is wise? He will
realize these things. Who is discerning? He will understand them. The ways of
the LORD are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in
them.
Hosea 14:1-9
The
people of Israel
had backslidden and God wanted Hosea to show them how much that hurt Him. God
commanded the prophet to marry a prostitute named Gomer.
Put on display as the faithful husband of an unfaithful spouse, Hosea
experienced a pain similar to what God felt when Israel was spiritually unfaithful.
God promises healing, forgiveness, and fruitfulness.
Life
for the person who turns his back on God is often characterized by guilt and
dissatisfaction. The truly born again believer who has fallen into a lifestyle
of sin knows deep down that spiritual unfaithfulness to God takes a toll.
But
just as the God of grace offered Israel forgiveness and
fruitfulness, even so today He offers restoration to
the truly repentant. Have you made poor choices that have caused you to slip
away? Come back. Repent and seek restored fellowship with the Lord today.
It’s not too late to make a fresh start with God.
Our Daily Bread – September
29, 2010