"O Israel, return unto the LORD they God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquitey. Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously...'I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely; for mine anger is turned away from him, I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily...They that dwell under his shadow shall return' ... for the ways of the LORD are right, and the just shall walk in them:"
Hosea 14--here we have the last chapter of Hosea with an exhortation to repentance. The chapter highlights what God will do for Israel if she repents. What a blessing God was--and is--to His own. I know, I know, the church is not Israel, can't be compared, etc., etc., etc. But I think there is a correllation here.
God is the One Who can heal backsliding. He does love us freely. When we cast off our iniquity, he will receive us graciously, for "if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us." Indeed, His ways are right. All of them. Even when we can't see the way, it is still right. He will not lead His children down a dark path for no reason. This comes back to the idea of suffering. John Piper contends that suffering is not an end of itself. I believe Joshua Harris talks about the same thing regarding sacrifice. Suffering is to bring us closer to God--when we finally realize that we truly cannot walk, it is then He can carry us. Sacrifice is not simply a command to follow because God doesn't want us to enjoy life--sacrificing sin on the altar of obedience leads only to future joy.
I'm so thankful that even though I can't see the way cut before me, my Lord holds the light, and as I stay close to Him, He will show me the way.