Big Idea

Though Israel is unfaithful, God remains faithful.

This month's memory verse

Matthew 11:28-30

28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

God is still faithful even when we are not

Key Verse | Hosea 14:4

The Lord says,
 “Then I will heal you of your faithlessness;
  my love will know no bounds,
  for my anger will be gone forever.

Hosea 14:1-9

Hosea 14

Healing for the Repentant

1*Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God,

for your sins have brought you down.

2Bring your confessions, and return to the Lord.

Say to him,

“Forgive all our sins and graciously receive us,

so that we may offer you our praises.*

3Assyria cannot save us,

nor can our warhorses.

Never again will we say to the idols we have made,

‘You are our gods.’

No, in you alone

do the orphans find mercy.”

4The Lord says,

“Then I will heal you of your faithlessness;

my love will know no bounds,

for my anger will be gone forever.

5I will be to Israel

like a refreshing dew from heaven.

Israel will blossom like the lily;

it will send roots deep into the soil

like the cedars in Lebanon.

6Its branches will spread out like beautiful olive trees,

as fragrant as the cedars of Lebanon.

7My people will again live under my shade.

They will flourish like grain and blossom like grapevines.

They will be as fragrant as the wines of Lebanon.

8“O Israel,* stay away from idols!

I am the one who answers your prayers and cares for you.

I am like a tree that is always green;

all your fruit comes from me.”

9Let those who are wise understand these things.

Let those with discernment listen carefully.

The paths of the Lord are true and right,

and righteous people live by walking in them.

But in those paths sinners stumble and fall.

Footnotes

14:1 Verses 14:1-9 are numbered 14:2-10 in Hebrew text.
14:2 As in Greek and Syriac versions, which read may repay the fruit of our lips; Hebrew reads may repay the bulls of our lips.
14:8 Hebrew Ephraim, referring to the northern kingdom of Israel.