Conversations are happening within the Church telling us how to save our nation. While that is admirable, the Lord is admonishing His Church, not an unredeemed culture to return to Him. Nations change because the believing Church has influenced it with truth and wisdom. All change within a nation happens because the Church has been awakened.

There are great treasures of revelation in the books of prophets. Jesus quoted those truths to His first disciples. We need to hear those revelations today. One such revelation is found in the last verse in the book of Hosea, “Let 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” (Hosea 14:9). These words were written to God’s people who had strayed from His truth to embrace a life of lies. 

It requires wisdom on our part to understand what the Lord is saying. We need to listen carefully to what the Lord has revealed in Scripture because it is the only way forward at this time in history.  God’s truth in whatever age it appears remains true and right forever and will protect us as we are about to enter very difficult times.

The Lord told Hosea to marry a prostitute to express how He saw His wayward followers. It was a stark and needed prophetic act. Hosea concluded his book by sharing truths that revealed the timeliness of His revelation, things that His people needed to understand before restoration could take place. It would reveal the importance of God’s timing and what would happen to His people in their return to Hm.

THIS IS A TIME TO REPLANT OUR HEARTS, “Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of love. Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you” (10:12).

THIS IS A TIME TO ACT WITH LOVE AND JUSTICE, “Come back to your God. Act with love and justice, and always depend on him” (12:6).

THIS IS A TIME TO CONFESS OUR SINS, “Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for your sins have brought you down. Bring 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’” (14:1-2)

THIS IS A TIME FOR HOPE, “I will be to Israel like a refreshing dew from heaven” (14:5).

THIS IS A TIME TO EXPECT FRUITFULNESS, “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” (14:8).

When the Church is awakened and revived, a nation will take notice. When we use the tactics of the world, we will follow the ways of the world and reap a similar harvest. Our assignment is different. If we respond rightly to the Lord, we will see Him move in profound ways in the Church and within our nation.