I took them up by their arms, but they did not know that I healed them. I led them with cords of kindness, with the bands of love. —Hosea 11:3–4 ESV
Why does God want to revive our hearts and restore us to a closer relationship with Him? One major reason is He loves us.
We need to beware of misunderstanding the heart and ways of God when we study His dealings with His people, especially in the Old Testament. Due to the numerous accounts of God’s judgment recorded there, we might get the impression He was eager to punish or He is harsh, demanding, and impatient. But the opposite is true. Times of judgment usually came after years of pleading with His people to come back to Him.
Hosea 11 and 14 provide before, during, and after snapshots of how and why God revives and renews His people. The constant in all three stages is His love. God loved the Israelites when they were newborns, He loved them after they returned to Him from a season of rebellion, and He loved them throughout the whole process of correcting them.
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Seeking Him: Experiencing the Joy of Personal Revival ©2009 Life Action Ministries
Scripture taken from The ESV
Make it Personal
Write a prayer thanking God for His faithful love and for His desire to restore His people when they have wandered away from Him.