As I was doing my bible reading this week, I came across this verse, and it just resonated in my heart and mind.

Hosea 14:4 “I will heal their waywardness and love them freely for my anger has turned away from them.”

This was written by Hosea, concerning Israel. They had fallen away from their first love and were caught up in horrible sin and rebellion. Hosea was telling them they needed to turn from their sinful ways and repent. They had strayed so far from how God had told them to live. But God was not finished with them, and His desire was for them to come back to him, in a right fellowship.

We are the same all too often the world’s charms hold us captive and we continue in sin all the while knowing God is not pleased.
We choose our way over God’s ways forgetting that He is holy and eventually we will suffer the consequences of our sin and rebellion. It is fun for a while or so it seems. God wants to forgive us, He draws our eyes from the charms of the world and gives us this promise in the middle of it. There are no conditions on God’s love. None! “I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them.”

When we truly repent of our sin and turn away from it, God forgives us. He doesn’t remind us of our sin, He does not hold in his anger to bring it against us later. It is done. Wow! No conditions, just love, and forgiveness. We should never be afraid to come to God and seek his forgiveness. He gives it to us and restores what has been stolen by the enemy.

Can we do the same? When someone sincerely asks us for forgiveness do we give it with no strings attached, or do we hold in just a little of our anger and allow it to bubble to the surface, the next time something happens? We need to emulate our Lord to the best of our abilities. We need to walk in forgiveness and give it with no strings attached. And sometimes, depending on how bad the hurt or action against us was it is very hard to do. But God does not operate the way we do. We want to think that he does, we try to pull him down to our level, and our ways. God is so much more than we can truly grasp, and he understands that about us. I personally take great comfort in knowing that He knows me, inside and out!

God judges our sin, but he shows his mercy to the sinner. Are we merciful in our dealings with difficult people? I would rather be guilty of giving to much mercy than being known as a hard nose that holds grudges.

DO NOT LET THE DEVIL CONVINCE YOU THAT YOU ARE UNFORGIVABLE, AND THAT GOD WILL HOLD YOUR SIN AGAINST YOU, REMEMBER HE IS THE FATHER OF LIES IF HIS LIPS ARE MOVING, HE IS LYING!!!

So, today if you find yourself caught up in sin and you have been hesitant to bring it to the Lord, do not be afraid. After all, He already knows all about it. He is waiting…won’t you come?
Freely given, never remembered, no conditions to get through beforehand…OPEN ARMS ARE WAITING FOR YOU!