Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown! (Jonah 3:4)

Repent! Repent! Repent!

Thus, said the Lord of host,

“Have you seen what my backsliding Church has done?

She has gone up on every high mountain and under every green tree,

And there played the harlot. 

And I said after she had done all these things, ‘Return to Me.’ (Jeremiah 3:6-7)

But she did not return!

Once again, the Lord is proclaiming His word from the north,

“Return, backsliding Church,” says the Lord;

“I will not cause My anger to fall on you.

For I am merciful,” says the Lord;

“I will not remain angry forever.

Only acknowledge your iniquity,

That you have transgressed against the Lord your God,

And have scattered your charms to alien deities under every green tree,

And you have not obeyed My voice,” says the Lord.

“Return, O backsliding children,” says the Lord;

“For I am married to you.

I will take you, one from a city and two from a family,

And I will bring you to Zion.

And I will give you shepherds according to My heart,

Who will feed you with knowledge and understanding. (Jeremiah 3:11-15)

“Return, you backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings.” (Jeremiah 3:22)

Have mercy!

O’ God hear our cry!

For we have sinned greatly in what we have done;

But now, we pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servants,

For we have done very foolishly. (2 Samuel 24:10)

Have mercy upon us, O God,

According to Your lovingkindness;

According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,

Blot out our transgressions.

Wash us thoroughly from our iniquity,

And cleanse us from our sins. (Psalms 51:1-2)

Indeed, we do come to You, for You are the Lord our God.

Truly, in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills,

And from the multitude of mountains;

Truly, in the Lord our God

Is our salvation. (Jeremiah 3:22-23)

Create in us a clean heart, O God,

And renew a steadfast spirit within us.

Do not cast us away from Your presence,

And do not take Your Holy Spirit from us.

Restore unto us the joy of Your salvation,

And renew your Spirit within us. (Psalms 51:10-12)

Restoration!

“Behold, I am with you,” says the Lord,

“And will keep you wherever you go,

And will bring you back to this land;

For I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.” (Genesis 28:15)

For thus says the Lord God:

“Indeed, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out.

As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep,

So will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places

Where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day. (Ezekiel 34:11-12)

I will lead you into green pastures and feed you in high mountains and valleys.

I will seek the lost, deliver the captive, bind up the wounded and strengthen the weak.

I will judge between the fat and lean sheep, between the rams and the goats.

I will establish one shepherd over you from the loins of King David who will feed you.

And I, the Lord, will be your God (Ezekiel 34:13-24).

“I will make a covenant of peace with you,

And cause wild beasts to cease from the land;

And you will dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods.

I will make you and the places all around My hill a blessing;

And I will cause showers to come down in their season;

There shall be showers of blessing.”

I, the Lord, have spoken. (Ezekiel 34:25-26)

Additional references: Genesis 3:13; 4:10; 12:18; 44:15; Psalms 51; Psalms 18; Psalms 29; 2 Thessalonians 2:5-12

Prepared directly from the Bible by Beverley Wright (April 2, 2017)