Scripture
“Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD:
his going forth is prepared as the morning;
and he shall come unto us as the rain,
as the latter and former rain unto the earth.”
— Hosea 6:3 (KJV)
“Come, and let us return unto the LORD:
for he hath torn, and he will heal us;
he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.”
— Hosea 6:1 (KJV)
Reflection
There are times when I become painfully aware of my own wandering. Not necessarily wandering into open rebellion, but drifting into self-comfort, self-reliance, and appetites that promise relief while quietly leaving me weaker. Sometimes it is not dramatic sin that dulls the soul, but the slow turning toward things that cannot truly satisfy. I have found myself seeking consolation in food, especially the processed foods and comforts that seem easy in the moment but leave a toll afterward—physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Yet in the middle of this weakness, the invitation of Hosea reaches me again:
“Come, and let us return unto the LORD.”
Not perform.
Not pretend.
Not prove myself worthy first.
Simply return.
I do not believe God is harsh or controlling. He is a loving Father who allows us to choose, yet not without consequence. Like the prodigal son in Gospel of Luke, I see that wandering eventually brings famine to the soul. But what amazes me is that God’s response to my weakness is not rejection. His call is still:
Return to Me.
There is something deeply healing about knowing that the One who allows conviction is also the One who promises to bind up the brokenhearted. Hosea says:
“he hath torn, and he will heal us.”
The tearing is not cruelty. It is the painful uncovering of the things that keep me from intimacy with Him. Sometimes God allows me to feel the emptiness of what I keep turning toward so that I might hunger again for what truly gives life.
Jesus said:
“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”
— Matthew 5:6 (KJV)
I want that filling. Not merely victory through willpower, but a deeper surrender where His Spirit changes my desires from the inside out. I do not want to spend my life battling outward behavior while remaining inwardly restless. I want to know Him.
Hosea says:
“Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD.”
That knowing is not intellectual alone. It is covenant knowing. Relational knowing. The kind of knowing that grows through continual pursuit. Through returning again and again when I fail. Through learning to abide instead of striving.
Jesus spoke these words:
“Abide in me, and I in you.”
— John 15:4 (KJV)
I am learning that abiding often looks quieter than I imagined. Sometimes it is simply bringing my weakness honestly before Him instead of hiding it. Sometimes it is stopping in the middle of temptation and whispering:
“Lord, I need You right now.”
And He meets us there.
His coming is:
“prepared as the morning.”
Morning does not arrive all at once. Dawn begins with faint light on the horizon. In the same way, God often restores us progressively. The soul slowly awakens again. Desire for His presence grows. Peace returns. Strength comes little by little. What once ruled us begins to loosen its grip as we continue following on to know Him.
I think of Charmaine once saying she just wanted to be in the arms of Jesus. There is something beautiful in that kind of surrender. In seasons of weakness and exhaustion, the safest place truly is in His presence. Not striving to earn love, but resting in covenant love already offered through Christ.
The Lord does not merely want behavior modification. He desires communion. He desires a bride that knows His voice, trusts His heart, and longs for His presence more than the temporary comforts of this world.
And so today, I return again.
Not because I am strong.
But because He is faithful.
Not because I have mastered surrender.
But because His mercy still calls me closer.
And I believe His promise:
If we follow on to know the LORD,
He will come unto us as the rain.
He will revive.
He will heal.
He will bind up.
And we shall live in His sight.
Prayer
Father, teach me to return quickly when I wander. Help me not to seek comfort apart from You. Strengthen me in my weakness and create in me a deeper hunger for Your presence than for the temporary satisfactions of this world. Teach me what it means to abide in covenant love and to follow on to know You. Bind up what is broken in me and continue Your healing work in my life and in my marriage. Let Your Spirit come upon us as the former and latter rain. Draw us into deeper intimacy with You and teach us to rest in Your faithful love. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Journaling Invitation
1. In what areas of my life have I been seeking comfort apart from God’s presence?
2. What does “returning to the LORD” look like practically in this season of my life?
3. How have I experienced God’s covenant love pursuing me even in weakness?