Let Us Return to the Lord

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Scripture: Hosea 6:1-3 (NLT)

1 “Come, let us return to the Lord.

He has torn us to pieces;

now he will heal us.

He has injured us;

now he will bandage our wounds.

2 In just a short time he will restore us,

so that we may live in his presence.

3 Oh, that we might know the Lord!

Let us press on to know him.

He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn

or the coming of rains in early spring.”

Devotion:

            In today’s scripture, we find Hosea exhorting the people of Israel to repent of their many sins and be healed by God. Surely God’s people today can find hope for our own time in these words. This scripture challenges us to see that the Lord has allowed many ills to descend upon his people. Today, we see this happening in our own time. It is apparent that God has withdrawn His hand of divine protection from his people, and we are suffering for it. Perhaps if we repent of our sin and rebellion the Lord will repent and cover us with His hand of protection again.

            The sins of Israel in Hosea’s day were great and numerous. They had completely forgotten all that the Lord had done for them in their history. They were following other gods with reckless abandon. They were sexually unchaste. There was no fear of God in the land at all. We see these same types of sin abounding in today’s culture. It could be that these words of Hosea can apply to us today. We, however, show no signs of desiring anything but our own sins. Many in culture today are certain that there is no God.

            God’s absence can be felt in every quarter of today’s world. Sexual sin is rampant. The love of God’s word is entirely absent in many places. People live to please themselves not caring who gets injured or even killed as a result. Even in the darkness and decay of modern society, God calls to us to repent of our evil ways. He longs for his children to see their folly and return to Him. As Hosea says, “Oh, that we might know the Lord!” What a difference that would make for us today.

            Therefore, let us listen to these words of hope from Hosea. Let us seek the Lord while He may be found.

Prayer:

            Lord, we turn around and call to you today. We beg your forgiveness and mercy upon us. Help us to truly repent and seek your face. Let us forsake our sin and evil doing and let us return to you who is abundant in mercy and love. Let us rejoice in your steadfast love for this rebellious generation. Teach us to fear and respect you, so that we may live in your presence today. Amen. 

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