Ask to come home

Hosea 14: Return, Israel, to the Lord your God.
    Your sins have been your downfall!
² 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.

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⁴ “I will heal their waywardness
    and love them freely,
    for my anger has turned away from them.

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Demanding that I be set free from the trial did not seem to work. I mean the more I squirmed, the more I seemed to stay right where I was. “Haven’t I been good?” was my weak question. “I mean years ago I served YOU that one time, remember?”

• GOD is not impressed by my filthy righteousness.
• GOD is not impressed with service to manipulate HIM to do my bidding.
• GOD is not impressed by my negotiation tactics.

Proving to GOD that I am deserving of more is like proving to water that it is not wet. HE sees through my attempts to be good and sees a heart of corruption. What can I do when GOD sees through my plan?

• GOD says to me “Return to ME, I AM the LORD your GOD.”
• GOD says to me “Take words with you and return to ME.”
• GOD says to me “Say ‘forgive all our sins and receive us graciously, that we may offer the fruit of our lips.’”

After a while I had to take a humble approach to speaking to GOD. Nothing had worked at this point. I had to humble myself and say to HIM “I have sinned” rather than telling HIM how wrong HE was for not fixing the problem of the day. “Please receive us graciously” are more appropriate words that say “I don’t deserve grace but please give it anyway.”

GOD responds by turning away HIS anger, healing me of my waywardness and loving me freely. I humbly approach GOD and HE pours out HIS blessings on me.

• Have you turned your back on GOD?
• Do you feel you deserve to be out of the trial?
• Can you humbly approach GOD and ask HIM to forgive you and to receive you graciously?