Reading in Spurgeon's devotional this morning and He references Hosea 14:8.
"from me comes your fruit."
This strikes me. This strikes my pride and arrogance. It is from the LORD that comes all things. All that I have is from the hand of the LORD. In my pride I come to think that I earn things. In my arrogance I come to think that I deserve things. No. That is not true. All that I have is by the grace of God. The fingers that I am typing with is by the grace of God alone.
Reading around this passage in Hosea I see that this decree from the LORD is rooted in deep context. The LORD is calling Israel to return to him.
"Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity. Take with you words and return to the LORD; say to him, 'Take away all iniquity; accept what is good...'"
"I will heal their apostasy; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them. I will be like the dew to Israel; he shall blossom like the lily; he shall take root like the trees of Lebanon.."
The LORD calls to Israel to turn to him. He calls them to repent. But, he goes even further to tell them what to do. He tells them how to return to himself. Take your words, and ask that all iniquity is taken away.
This should be a daily thing, a confession to the LORD of sin and repentance and falling upon the grace of the LORD and submitting to his rule. It is only God that can take away sin. It is only God that can bring "fruit".
