Return to the Lord

Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you return to the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths from among you, and prepare your hearts for the Lord, and serve Him only; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.” So the children of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtoreths, and served the Lord only. – 1 Samuel 7.3-4

There was only one answer to ‘Ichabod.’

Samuel said ‘if you want deliverance you must return to the Lord with your whole heart, you must get rid of the false gods, you must prepare your hearts, and you must serve God only.’

The amazing thing is that  God’s mercy would even give them a second chance. Why even bother with people who keep turning away to other gods and whose hearts are so easily drawn away.

But God is not like man. He is a God of mercy so He wants men to come back to Him. All He wants is true repentance and that is what He is talking about here.

I am grateful that we still serve a God who is the God who is always waiting for us to return to Him. In fact it is so important that He gave us the illustration of a way faring son who comes back home and is welcomed with open arms.

God doesn’t give up on His children. He wants them back. All we have to do is to repent and come back to Him.

He is always there waiting for us.