Take words with you and return to the Lord

Take words with you and return to the Lord

Scripture: Return, Israel, to the LORD your God. Your sins have been your downfall!  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. Hosea 14:1-2

I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them. Hosea 14:4

Who is wise? Let them realize these things. Who is discerning? Let them understand. The ways of the LORD are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them. Hosea 14:9

Observation: The first Scripture is a call to Israel to return to the Lord. Just as the sins were Israel’s downfall, so too sins will be our downfall if we persist in it. Like Israel, sinners who have turned away are asked to “take words with them” and return to the Lord. God has given us a mouth for a purpose, to communicate. He has made us relational beings, being able to have meaningful conversations with each other through words. And our mouths are an important tool in communicating with God. If we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead, we will be saved. Profession and declaration is a very important part in our relationship with God. He even gave us the gift of tongues through the Holy Spirit to help us speak when we don’t know what to say. We worship Him with our mouths and God loves to hear our praises. We are forgiven so that we may offer our sacrifice of praise to God.

The second Scripture speaks of God healing Israel’s waywardness and loving them freely. Our hearts are naturally deceitful, and has a strong tendency towards waywardness. It is for us to come humbly before the Lord, and bring our hearts to Him that He may change it and mould it for His glory. The Scripture speaks of God taking away our heart of stone and giving us a heart of flesh. The heart touched by the Lord has a new compassion and purpose never seen in a person before.

The third Scripture tells us that those who are wise and discerning know that the ways of the Lord are right and that the righteous walk in them. How do we know the ways of the Lord? By studying the Scriptures.

Application: Thank God for giving us a mouth to say words, to communicate with Him and praise Him. Resolve to use our mouth often for His glory, to praise His name, to give good testimony, to worship Him. Surrender our hearts to God, asking Him to mould it to His likeness. Resolve to grow deep in the Word.

Prayer: Thank You, Father Lord, for the mouth You have given me to praise Your name. Let the words of my mouth be pleasing to You O Lord. Let praises always be found on my mouth as Your Spirit lives in me. Take my heart O Lord, and mould it more like You. Give me a fresh desire to grow deep in Your Word, which holds the secrets of eternal life. Praise Your holy name. In Jesus name, Amen.