Come, Let Us Return

DAY 4 | Come, Let Us Return

READ

Hosea 6:1–3; Hosea 14:1–4; Colossians 3:12–14

“Come, let us return to the LORD. For He has torn us, and He will heal us; He has wounded us, and He will bind up our wounds.”

Hosea 6:1

 

THE TRUTH

There is something beautiful about the invitation in Hosea:

“Come, let us return to the LORD.”

Israel had wandered.

They had worshiped other gods, pursued other gods, disobeyed God's commands, and repeatedly broken covenant with Him.

Yet God still invited them:

Return.

That invitation is at the heart of repentance.

Repentance isn't simply feeling guilty about where we have been. It is recognizing that we have wandered and turning back toward the One we have wandered from.

Hosea 14 says:

“Return to Yahweh your God, for you have stumbled in your sin. Take words of repentance with you and return to the LORD.”

Notice that God doesn't tell them to pretend nothing happened.

He tells them to acknowledge their sin and return.

That same principle matters in marriage.

When covenant has been wounded, our natural tendency is often to avoid what happened. We bury it, minimize it, defend it, or simply try to move forward without dealing with it.

But you cannot truly repair what you refuse to acknowledge.

Sometimes returning to one another begins with simple words:

“I was wrong.”

“I hurt you.”

“I sinned against you.”

“Will you forgive me?”

But restoration also requires something from the person who has been hurt.

Forgiveness.

Forgiveness can be incredibly difficult, especially when the wound is deep.

Forgiveness does not mean what happened was acceptable.

It doesn't mean the pain wasn't real.

It doesn't erase consequences.

It doesn't mean trust must instantly be restored.

There may need to be counseling.

There may need to be new boundaries.

Trust may need to be rebuilt slowly through consistent faithfulness over time.

But if we desire genuine restoration, we cannot continually use the sins of the past as weapons in the present.

God's forgiveness toward us doesn't make our sin insignificant.

It reveals how incredible His grace is.

And when we understand how much we have been forgiven through Christ, we begin learning how to extend forgiveness to others.

As Hosea reminds us:

Come, let us return.

Return to God.

And where possible, begin taking steps toward one another.

 

REFLECT

Is there something between you and God that you have acknowledged but never truly turned away from?

 

Is there something you have done to your spouse or another person that needs more than an explanation and requires genuine repentance?

 

Is there a past wound you continually bring back into present conflicts?

 

What might returning look like for you today?

 

A HAPPILY MARRIED REMINDER

Repentance and forgiveness are connected, but they are not the same thing as immediate reconciliation or restored trust.

If you broke trust, you don't get to determine how quickly the person you hurt should trust you again.

You can repent sincerely and still need to patiently demonstrate faithfulness.

And if you have been deeply hurt, forgiveness doesn't require you to pretend that trust has already been rebuilt.

You can forgive and still need boundaries.

You can forgive and still grieve.

You can forgive and still need counseling.

You can forgive while requiring genuine change before certain parts of a relationship can safely be restored.

Forgiveness releases vengeance. Trust is rebuilt through faithfulness.

Don't confuse the two.

 

TOGETHER OR INDIVIDUALLY

IF YOU’RE MARRIED

Today requires humility from both of you.

Begin separately.

Ask God:

“Where have I wounded our covenant?”

Don't start with what your spouse did.

Start with yourself.

Maybe you have been harsh.

Distant.

Dishonest.

Passive.

Controlling.

Unfaithful.

Unforgiving.

Selfish.

Neglectful.

Maybe you have stopped pursuing.

Maybe you haven't protected your spouse.

Maybe you have prioritized work, children, hobbies, friendships, or something else above your marriage.

When you are ready, share what you need to own.

Try saying:

“I recognize that I have ________. That was wrong. I know it has affected you and our marriage. I am asking God to forgive me, and I am asking you to forgive me.”

Don't add:

“But you...”

Let repentance stand on its own.

Then listen.

If your spouse shares something they need to confess, resist the urge to immediately punish their honesty.

That doesn't mean you cannot express pain.

It means you make room for truth.

Restoration requires both.

IF YOU’RE SINGLE

Practice repentance and forgiveness now.

Covenant faithfulness begins long before marriage.

Learn how to say:

“I was wrong.”

Learn how to ask forgiveness without excuses.

Learn how to receive correction without immediately defending yourself.

And learn how to forgive others without allowing bitterness to control you.

These are not merely marriage skills.

They are marks of someone being formed into the likeness of Christ.

 

FROM THE MARRIAGE CREED

“I will care for my spouse selflessly by being attentive and compassionate toward their needs to combat my selfishness.”

Repentance requires us to care about the pain our actions have caused someone else.

Forgiveness requires compassion too.

That doesn't mean pretending the wound isn't there.

It means refusing to allow that wound to continually produce more wounds.

Covenant relationships require people who are willing to say:

“I was wrong.”

And people willing, sometimes through tears and over time, to say:

“I forgive you.”

Both require grace.

 

RESPOND

Hosea gives us the invitation:

RETURN.

So begin with God.

RETURN TO GOD

Complete this prayer honestly:

“God, I recognize that I have...”

 

“I repent of...”

 

“Today I am returning to You by...”

 

Now consider your relationships.

REPENT

Is there someone you need to ask to forgive you?

 

What do you need to own without excuses?

 

FORGIVE

Is there someone whose sin you continue carrying as a weapon against them?

 

What would it look like to begin releasing that debt to God?

 

Don't force an emotional moment.

Forgiveness may involve a decision you must continue surrendering to God as healing takes place.

But begin.

 

PRAY

Father, thank You for inviting us to return.

We have wandered.

We have sinned.

We have broken Your commands and hurt people You have entrusted to us.

Yet You continue calling:

Come back.

So today we return.

Give us genuine repentance, not merely regret over consequences.

Give us courage to name our sin without excuses and humility to ask forgiveness from those we have hurt.

Where we have wounded our spouse, help us listen to their pain rather than immediately defending ourselves.

Where trust has been broken, give us patience to rebuild it through consistent faithfulness.

And where we have been hurt, help us understand forgiveness through the forgiveness You have shown us.

We don't want to ignore what happened.

We don't want to dismiss the pain.

We don't want to pretend consequences aren't real.

But neither do we want bitterness, resentment, or unforgiveness to continue controlling our future.

Give wisdom where boundaries are needed.

Provide counseling where wounds are deep.

Bring accountability where patterns must change.

And bring healing where hearts have been broken.

Most of all, draw us back to You.

Let our relationship with You become the foundation from which broken relationships begin to heal.

Teach us to repent.

Teach us to forgive.

Teach us to return.

Amen.