Thanks for joining us for today's encouragement from the Our Daily Bread Devotional.

Monica LaRose wrote our reading and it's titled God's Restoring Ways.

One of the most moving songs in the musical, Theest Showman is from now on.

Sung after the main character comes to some painful self-realizations about the way he's

wounded family and friends. The song celebrates the joy of coming back home and finding

that what we already have is more than enough.

The book of Josea concludes with a similar tone, one of breathless joy and gratitude at the

restoration God makes possible for those who return to him.

Much of the book, which compares the relationship between God and his people, to a relationship

with an unfaithful spouse, grieves Israel's failures to love him and live for him. But in chapter 14,

Josea lifts up the promise of God's boundless love, grace, and restoration,

freely available to those who returned to him, heartbroken over the ways they've abandoned

him.

I will heal their waywardness, God promises, and love them freely.

And what had seemed broken beyond repair will once more find wholeness and abundance as God's grace like dew causes his people to blossom like a lily

and flourish like the grain. When we've hurt others

or taken for granted God's goodness in our life,

it's easy to assume we've forever marred the good gifts we've been given.

But when we humbly turn to him,

we find his love is always reaching to embrace and restore.

Today's Our Daily Bread Devotional Scripture reading is from Hosea Chapter 14.

Return Israel to the Lord your God. Your sins have been your downfall. Take words with you and return to the Lord.

...