As part of my morning routine, I spend a good bit of time praying through the previous twenty-four hours. While some of that time is spent in thanksgiving for specific blessings, much more of it is spent in asking for God’s forgiveness. I don’t think so much about some terrible sin I may have committed; instead, I look back through the day to see the times when I wish I had acted differently. At the conclusion of that time of confession, I listen for God and hear the words, whether in the sound of the wind or in that still small voice that speaks in my heart, “You are forgiven, my beloved child.”
The prophet Hosea’s ministry occurred right before the kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Assyrian Empire. It was a time when the kings of Israel led their people astray into some of the most detestable sins imaginable. Nevertheless, God continued to reach out to His people. He never sought to abandon or punish His children, even when they fell prey to idolatry and the worship of the gods of neighboring peoples. The Almighty continued to send prophets to call His people back to rightful worship.
Hosea spoke the words in this passage to remind Israel of God’s forgiveness. His words are what we often need to hear in our own lives. The Lord assures us that He will bring us back to Him every time we wander away and will provide the restoration that can come only through Him. We can become like the “cedar of Lebanon” — a symbol for the Israelites of stability, strength, and purity — as we seek forgiveness and listen for those words from the Lord.