Hosea 6
A Call to Repentance
1 “Come, let us return to the Lord.
He has torn us to pieces;
now he will heal us.
He has injured us;
now he will bandage our wounds.
2 In just a short time he will restore us,
so that we may live in his presence.
3 Oh, that we might know the Lord!
Let us press on to know him.
He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn
or the coming of rains in early spring.”
Father, help me believe that You will heal us. My family if falling apart Lord. I feel like life is crushing in on us. I am losing hope. Please Lord, heal us. Rescue us, forgive us. I know I deserve this and much worse. I am ashamed. But Lord, I am no the only one suffering.
Help me return to You so I can be healed and my family. Help us Lord to see You in each other and live in peace.
4 “O Israel and Judah,
what should I do with you?” asks the Lord.
“For your love vanishes like the morning mist
and disappears like dew in the sunlight.
Father, You are right. I am so easily turned away from living for You. I so easily forget Your words, and Your ways, and Your blessings. Help me keep You first in my life forever.
5 I sent my prophets to cut you to pieces—
to slaughter you with my words,
with judgments as inescapable as light.
6 I want you to show love,
not offer sacrifices.
I want you to know me
more than I want burnt offerings.
Holy Spirit, help me to love. My wife and children need love so much right now. They need far more love and compassion than I can give. But Love is one of Your fruits. You can love them and You can love them through me. Please Holy pour Your love on them through me. Help me to open up and bear Your fruit. And help them to receive Your fruit.
7 But like Adam, you broke my covenant
and betrayed my trust.
8 “Gilead is a city of sinners,
tracked with footprints of blood.
9 Priests form bands of robbers,
waiting in ambush for their victims.
They murder travelers along the road to Shechem
and practice every kind of sin.
10 Yes, I have seen something horrible in Ephraim and Israel:
My people are defiled by prostituting themselves with other gods!
11
though I wanted to restore the fortunes of my people.
Father, You want to give us good…You want to give me good. But I turn away from You and toward sin. I know we search You out in times of trouble. I am in trouble. My family is in trouble. Help us to all search You out so You can restore us, rather than punish us.
*Hosea6*
