God’s Restoring Ways

Thanks for joining us for today's encouragement from the Our Daily Bread Devotional. Monica LaRose wrote our reading, and it's titled, God's Restoring Ways.

One of the most moving songs in the musical, The Greatest Showman, is From Now On, sung after the main character comes to some painful self-realizations about the way he's wounded family and friends. The song celebrates the joy of coming back home and finding that what we already have is more than enough. The book of Hosea concludes with a similar tone, one of breathless joy and gratitude at the restoration God makes possible for those who return to Him. Much of the book, which compares the relationship between God and His people to a relationship with an unfaithful spouse, grieves Israel's failures to love Him and live for Him. But in chapter 14, Hosea lifts up the promise of God's boundless love, grace, and restoration, freely available to those who return to Him heartbroken over the ways they've abandoned Him. I will heal their waywardness, God promises, and love them freely. And what had seemed broken beyond repair will once more find wholeness and abundance as God's grace, like dew, causes His people to blossom like a lily and flourish like the grain. When we've hurt others or taken for granted God's goodness in our life, it's easy to assume we've forever marred the good gifts we've been given. But when we humbly turn to Him, we find His love is always reaching to embrace and restore.

Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Hosea chapter 14. 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. Assyria cannot save us.

We will not mount war horses. We will never again say our gods to what our own hands have made, for in you the fatherless find compassion. I will heal their waywardness and love them freely for my anger has turned away from them. I will be like the dew to Israel. He will blossom like a lily. Like a cedar of Lebanon, He will send down His roots. His young shoots will grow. His splendor will be like an olive tree.

His fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon. Israel will dwell again in His shade. They will flourish like the grain. They will blossom like the vine.

Israel's fame will be like the wine of Lebanon. Ephraim, what more have I to do with idols? I will answer Him and care for Him.

I am like a flourishing juniper. Your fruitfulness comes from Me. 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. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love and grace that reached out to us in our brokenness and restored us to a place where we can grow and thrive. We pray that You would give us hearts for others who are experiencing the pain of broken lives and broken relationships and help us come alongside them and lovingly point them to You where they can find healing. Thank You, Lord. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.