True or False: We need to get back to God. True! Is there hope for our world? Where does that hope lie? Hosea ends with hope. After chiding Israel for their idolatry, he challenges them to return to God. But how would they return? For that matter, how do we return to the Lord? With words and actions.
We use words when we ask God for forgiveness. Forgiveness must not be assumed or presumed. In the First Letter of John in the New Testament, John promises, “If we confess our sins to God, he will forgive us our sins . . .” To confess is to say the same thing. Words also express our repentance: “Assyria cannot save us . . . we will never again say, ‘our gods’ to what our hands have made. With words we acknowledge who God is: “In you the fatherless find compassion".
God’s promises to repentant Israel hold promise for us, too. God promises to heal and love freely as his anger turns away from his people. Israel will blossom like a lily, grow like a cedar, and provide shade for others. This was God’s desire for ancient Israel. This is his desire for his people, the church, today. He wants to bring us to life with beauty and strength. The church then becomes a shelter for the broken and hurting in our world.
How are we returning to God today? Let’s use words expressing our confession and repentance. Let’s take action turning from our reliance on others and our idolatry. Let’s trust God to keep his word. It is not too late to return to the Lord. Neither is it too soon.
