“Yet even now,”

declares the LORD,

“return to Me with all your heart,

with fasting, weeping, and mourning.”

So rend your hearts and not your garments,

and return to the LORD your God.

For He is gracious and compassionate,

slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion.

And He relents from sending disaster."

First, here is the reason to return: It is not because our sins are not grievous but because the Lord is merciful! This is the reason to come to Him confessing our sins. Yes, the adversity is coming, even hell itself. Yes, worse chastisement is coming, even abandonment of the Lord in His loving departure. Yes, there is greater pain the longer we stay away, but come back to Him because He is “gracious and compassionate,” because He delights in mercy.

Men love sinning and God loves mercy, so if you want to avert the disaster… if you want God’s blessing… then admit your sins and trust His goodness. This is the recipe for help.

It is not pretending we haven’t fallen, praying “Bless, bless, bless,” but admitting our falls are horrible and dreadful - that we’ve walked away and gone our own way, that we’ve spat in His face, and that we’ve taken His mercies for granted - but He’s so abundant in mercy that He’ll pardon!

We’ll never be able to forgive this quickly and freely, but God is able through Christ!

Secondly, God promises satisfaction [vs18-24]!

And the LORD answered His people:

“Behold, I will send you

grain, new wine, and oil,

and by them you will be satisfied.

I will never again make you

a reproach among the nations.

It is the greatness of God to give us forgiveness and pleasure - things we never deserve. He gives so much joy and satisfaction of soul, and this is what broke me - the sweetness of His love, the delight of His countenance - until being in the Presence of God was the sweetest thing imaginable.

It didn’t matter if the world hated me or laughed, I had God, and this is what we need: We need our souls wrapped up in the Love of Christ until we’re invincible.

It is the greatest pleasure and the sweetest thing, when you have your Best Friend, Almighty God, in covenant with you - keeping you and drawing you, hearing and defending, and upholding you in His strength. It is the joy of COMPLETE FULFILLMENT, when you lack nothing. Bless the Lord, O my soul!

Many do not experience this because they don’t think it's possible, and how can you, until you enter in? But, take it from God’s word! "You will be satisfied." Take it from those who experience it now! It is the best thing, and it is only for those who’ve been recovered!

God delights in mercy to such a degree that the repenting sinner, coming home like the Prodigal, is made to feast with dancing, not after he’s earned his way or proven himself, but now, upon repentance: the tears are kissed away.

“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let us feast and celebrate. 24For this son of mine was dead and is alive again! He was lost and is found!’ So they began to celebrate.” [Luke 15:22-24]

Come to experience God’s presence!

Finally, God will take the squandered years and restore them [vs25-27].

I will repay you for the years eaten by locusts—

the swarming locust, the young locust,

the destroying locust, and the devouring locust —

My great army that I sent against you.

He won’t make us younger (though your face will shine), but He will make these years fruitful. He will not say, “You’ve squandered, so it’s too late,” but He’ll use you now.

I delight in the true story of the old woman whose husband died. She realized that they’d never sacrificed for God. She sold her home, gave the money to Nigerian missions, and lived out of state in a mission station. She became the greatest comforter in the community, winning many to Christ, and yet no one knew the sacrifice that she’d made. Later, when her health insurance was good, she gave the remaining money from her home to help missionaries in the Sudan (countries she’d never been to or met anyone from.) She was greatly blessed of God in old age, and so are we, if we start now, no matter what age we are. God will use us to get the gospel out, even from a death bed in prayer.