Day 5: Let Us Return to the Lord That He May Heal Us

“Come, let us return to the LORD; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him. Let us know; let us press on to know the LORD; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.” -Hosea 6:1-3

These words penned by the prophet Hosea are some of the most hope-filled words written in scripture. Hosea, writing at a time when God’s people were playing the unfaithful wife and plagued with division and spiritual brokenness, prophesied of a future in which God would return to them again and when they would seek his face for revival and renewal (Hosea 5:15). 

As God’s New Covenant people, we have the privilege of being able to seek Him, knowing that in Christ, God’s face has turned towards us, and that in Christ, we have been raised from death to life. Having been given God’s Spirit to dwell within us, we desire to press on to know the Lord and to deepen our relationship with Him and our love for Him. We boldly come before Him, as His bride, to ask for all that we desire. This is true for all God’s people, who become such only because of the gospel—the sinless life, atoning death, and victorious resurrection of Jesus Christ, which provides eternal redemption for all who repent and believe. 

So, what are God’s people to do today? How are we to respond, as we find ourselves in a time of national division, hatred, and apostasy? We are not far off from where God’s people found themselves in Hosea’s day. As we find ourselves in a time of needing to repent and seek the Lord, here is the prophet Hosea’s advice for us to heed:

“Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the LORD, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you” (Hosea 10:12).

And how will the Lord respond? What will God do as we turn to him in repentance, seeking revival and healing? The Prophet declares these words in Hosea 14:

“I will heal their apostasy; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them. They shall return and dwell beneath my shadow; they shall flourish like the grain; they shall blossom like the vine; their fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon. O Ephraim, what have I to do with idols? It is I who answer and look after you. I am like an evergreen cypress; from me comes your fruit” (Hosea 14:4,7-8).

This is a powerful promise, and a reminder, that as God’s people turn to Him, they can and will bear fruit that brings Him glory. Considering Hosea 6:1-3, then: we see how Israel’s response is a model of repentance and trust for us to follow. These verses are not just words for us to read, but to use as our own, as we pray for healing and revival in the nation. Putting Israel’s prayer for healing and revival in our words for our nation today, let us pray together:

Lord, bind up our wounds. Heal our land. You are our only hope. Raise us up. Revive us. Revive our families and cities. Heal our division, and bring unity to Your children. Bring awakening to our churches and leaders. Raise us up from our slumber, and help us to fully participate in Your mission.

In the mighty name of Jesus, amen. 

Fady Ghobrial, Ministry Fellow 

Christian Union Gloria, Harvard