October 28, 2026 Devo

October 28th, 2026

Powerful Words from the Prophets
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.” – Hosea 14:1-2 (NLT)
“Return”

The thing I love about the great grace of God is that no matter how far you’ve fallen or how badly you’ve sinned, you can always return to Him, and He will forgive you. But the point is you have to RETURN. You know what I mean?
I was watching a movie not long ago where a guy was standing before a judge declaring how he was a changed man. He was being overly dramatic with his presentation about how he had “seen the error of his ways.” Of course, everyone watching knew the man was lying through his teeth. Oh, he was sorry. Sorry he got caught. Sorry he was in jail. Sorry that he was about to lose his freedom. He was sorry for all the consequences of his actions. But what he wasn’t was REPENTANT. He was just putting on a good show to try to get off as easy as he could. It didn’t work out so well.
That happens in our relationships sometimes, doesn’t it? Have you ever had someone wrong you in some way, and when you confronted them about it, they gave you a half-hearted apology? Not really moving, is it? Like when we were kids, and our parents made us apologize to someone. We say the words, but that’s all they are—words. There’s no brokenness. There’s no “godly sorrow.” There’s no true caring that we did the wrong thing. It’s just a necessary action to get our parents off our backs.
We do the same thing with God. Somewhere along the way we get this idea that when we disobey God, we can just throw a half-hearted, “I’m sorry” or “Forgive me” His way and everything is square. As if just saying the words cleanses our hearts. It doesn’t. God knows the difference between a sincere heart and a good con. And that difference will decide whether we receive a “Well done” or a “Nice try” from God. He’s the one judge who can’t have the wool pulled over His eyes, no matter how hard we try.
What God wants is brokenness. What God desires is repentance. God wants US, not some trite apology. I love what God says to His people in our passage today. “Return.” Turn away from the idols. Turn away from the shameful behavior. Come back to honesty, integrity, and intimacy with Him. Brokenness and repentance aren’t in the words we say. It’s found in our attitudes and our actions. As we often say in recovery, “The best apology is changed behavior.” Don’t just be “sorry.” Return. That’s God’s Word for you today.