“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).
“At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem”, the keynote of the service was joyful thanksgiving. They gathered together “to celebrate joyfully the dedication with songs of thanksgiving” (Nehemiah 12:27). “On that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy” (Nehemiah 12:43). They sang “songs of praise and thanksgiving to God” (Nehemiah 12:46). This joyful thanksgiving is only a foretaste of the greater joy and thanksgiving of heaven: “There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:4). In the city of God, “the glory of God” will be shining with everlasting brightness (Revelation 21:23). The Church of God will be “prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband” (Revelation 21:2). The beautiful picture of the godly wife in Proverbs 31 gives us an outline of what God is seeking to do in His people. It is summarized in Proverbs 31:30: “A woman who fears the Lord is to be ...
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