“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.
Hosea 14:4-9
People 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.
Scripture Notes
It cannot be stated enough that God’s love for us has nothing to do with what we have done, but is because of His mercy and grace. Although we are made in His likeness, the Lord loves us despite our failings and faults. Perfection is not what is being sought, but we are called to leave our own self-ambitions and rebellion to follow the Lord. If we return from our waywardness, we are promised restoration.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9
Before we get carried away with ideas of flourishing after returning to the Lord, we must recognize that spiritual healing is the goal, not an abundance of worldly goods. The lily signifies purity, devotion, and regeneration. Olive trees not only produce oil for sustenance, but also represent longevity and peace, while the cedars of Lebanon symbolize strength and resilience. These are all characteristics that we should be striving for, not for material gain, but to pursue spiritual maturity. Our goal should be to seek wisdom and truth with diligence and obedience to the Lord. Complacency and entitlement hinder us from spiritual growth just as the pursuit of money and power does.
If we have turned away from the Lord, who or what is the cause? Idols may not be set on altars today, but plenty of things act as false gods in our society. Wealth, fame, individualism, self-recognition, and political power all act as sordid attempts at lofting mankind or oneself above God and sacrificing moral principles for temporary exaltation. To follow the Lord is not just saying sorry and moving on. True confession is a radical, countercultural process of rejecting the personal, societal, and sometimes political norms. The result is a lessening of the physical and economic, and, with humility and sacrifice, opening the way for spiritual renewal.
It is easy to lay blame at the Lord’s feet, claiming that He has caused the struggle and calamity in our lives since nothing is done without His knowing. And yet we constantly reverse the order. It is not that bad things happen and God doesn’t intercede, but that the world was broken long ago. It began when we thought we could be like God and be gods ourselves in the Garden of Eden. Instead of believing the lie of our own superiority, we are encouraged to admit our failings and turn back to the Lord. In His abundant mercy and compassion, God loves us freely. We likewise can freely accept the gift of grace, knowing we neither earned it nor deserve it. The wisdom of discernment is not to take control, but to follow the ways of the Lord because they are right.
So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
Luke 15:20
MEMORY VERse
Jean-Louis Forain. Sketch of a Woman, 1885/1890. National Gallery of Art
Related Verses
More verses about the wisdom of discernment:
Prayer Invitation
Application Questions
- In what areas of your life do you need to leave behind your own remedies and resolutions and turn to the Lord for healing and renewal? How does knowing you are loved freely lead you away from trying to be perfect or earn God’s approval?
- How can you prepare your mental, emotional, and spiritual self to “dwell in His shade” during times of struggle? When a difficult season comes, how can you better seek the Lord instead of alternative shelters or solutions?
- What modern idols (consumerism, materialism, control, success, etc.) do you need to actively address and distance yourself from? What spiritual action can you put in practice each day to replace the longing for societal or cultural lures?
- What realistic choices can you make to avoid stumbling or acting in rebellion against God? Is there a daily habit, a relationship, obsession, addiction, or distraction that you need to limit or remove to allow room for you to grow closer to the Lord?
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