Healing

 I will heal their apostasy; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them.
Hosea 14:4 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/hos.14.4.ESV

Hosea was prophesying to a doomed people. They were destined to be destroyed by the Assyrians, assimilated into their empire. The Northern kingdom of Israel would cease to exist, and an ethnically and religiously mixed people called Samaritans would settle in thar region.

Despite the bleak realism of Hosea's prophesy, striking rays of light break through the darkness, notwithstanding the thunder clouds of God's judgement. This verse is a shining example. Without negating the context, there would be those who would be healed, loved and forgiven by God in and amongst all the unrepentant apostates.

What does this verse have to do with us? In Christ, all the promises of God are 'yes and amen'. So we can claim this verse for ourselves. If we, like the ancient Israelites go astray and get snared by the wiles of the evil one, God can heal and restore us.

We can know God's free, unreserved, limitless love. How, we might ask? Through Christ's death on our behalf, taking the punishment we deserve out of love for us. God can turn His anger away from us.

'Lord God Almighty, heal, love and relent of Your anger we pray, not because we deserve it but because of who You are, and in Jesus' name we pray, amen'

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