The final chapter of the prophecy has a gentler tone. Hosea 14 highlights the ever-present grace of God, even amid the persistent rebellion of sinners and the thunderous threat of divine judgment. But these words of hope begin with another call to repentance. God pleads with His people to return to Him, forsaking the iniquity that was causing their downfall. They must come to terms with the fact of their guilt and the rightness of God’s way. There is no other path back to Him except genuine confession of sins—not the sins of others, or sin generally, but a personal confession of specific sins that have alienated us from God (v 1). More than a silent sense of obligation to do better, the kind of repentance that is honoring to God will bubble up into “words” that reveal a contrite heart. Hosea goes on to provide a helpful script which includes asking for forgiveness, renouncing anything which distracts us from trusting God, and placing our hope solely in Him (v 2-3). In response, God enthusiastically promises His love and forgiveness. There’s no doubt that divine anger has featured prominently in Hosea’s preaching, but now God’s anger is turned away in mercy. The LORD shows favor to His people, assuring them that He will not only forgive their sins, but “heal their apostasy.” This means that God will actually cure our waywardness, giving us new hearts, so that we will not wander from Him again (v 4). Using a variety of delightful images from nature, the LORD then describes the wellbeing enjoyed by His repentant people. Their restoration will be like the emergence of new life in a dry field. They will be like flowers, trees, and vines—all refreshed by the fallen dew. Beautiful and fragrant, those who return to God will “flourish” and “blossom” under His blessing. It’s a picture of health, prosperity, security, and peace. Sin weakens us, but God strengthens the hearts of all who humbly wait upon Him. Sin robs us of usefulness, but God restores, causing us to bring forth fruit that will last forever (v 5-8). The last verse in the book offers a parting word of advice to the reader. All of us desire to live abundant, successful lives. But true success is only found by those who apply Biblical wisdom. How? By acknowledging and submitting to the most important truth of all: that there is a God who created everything in relation to His own character and holds us accountable for what we do. The good life we long for can only be found in a life of faithfulness to Him (v 9). For further meditation: