“Yet even now,” declares the Lord,
“return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;”
Hosea 12:6
“So you, by the help of your God, return,
hold fast to love and justice,
and wait continually for your God.”
Joel 2:12
“Yet even now,” declares the Lord,
“return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
and rend your hearts and not your garments.”
Return to the Lord your God,
for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;
Deuteronomy 4:30
When you are in tribulation, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, you will return to the Lord your God and obey his voice. For the Lord your God is a merciful God. He will not leave you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers that he swore to them.
Why is it we expect people, who have no desire for God and serving Him, to have actions in their life that would display these attributes? They are lost and don’t know what they are doing. I was recently very upset at the action of a person, those who sided with that action, and the outcome of that action against a dear friend of mine. I have never felt so helpless and could not even be good counsel to my friend. My heart hurt deeply for this person. My friend was upset and I could do nothing. I wanted to say something that would encourage them but anger, revenge, and possibly hate filled both my heart and mind against those who did this against my friend. And then out of the mouth of my friend came these words “God has a plan for me and this is just part of that plan. He is in control.” I was the one being encouraged and ministered to from the person who had so much to complain and feel sorry about. I was the one with a heart that needed to seek God and praise Him for who He is. I was the one that needed to be reminded God is in control. I was the one who needed to be put back on a path with my eyes on God and not the situation. My friend’s heart and soul stayed pure even when wronged. It is good for us to remember God is alive, He is all powerful, He loves us, He will allow nothing to come our way that is not in His plan for our life, He will never leave or forsake us, He will comfort us, He will give us rest, He will lift us up. All praise, honor and glory to Him alone.
