“Return to the Lord your God ... Return to
the Lord” (Hosea 14:1-2). Who is the God to whom we return? He is the
God who loves us. He is the God who says, “I will love them freely”
(Hosea 14:4). God’s love for us is His free gift to us. He does not love
us because He has to love us. There is nothing about us that compels
God to love us. He is the God of love. He is the God who chooses love.
He is the God who chooses us. What wonderful promises of love He gives
to us. In Hosea 14:4-5, God says, “I will.” He says this four times. In
Hosea 14:5-7, He says, “They will.” He says this nine times. “They will”
follows “I will.” The blessings are given to us. They come to us from
the Lord. When we realize how much we have been blessed by the Lord,
this leads us to make a fuller commitment of our lives to the Lord,
turning from our evil ways - “The people of Ephraim will have nothing
more to do with idols” (Hosea 14:8) - and turning to the good ways of
the Lord - “The Lord’s ways are right. Righteous people live by them”
(Hosea 14:9).
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