June 28: Come, Let Us Return
You drank. And now part of you is wondering if you should just stay away from God for a while, until you’ve gotten yourself together.
“Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.”
Hosea speaks to people who’d wandered far. And the invitation is simple: come, and let’s return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces, and He will heal us. He has injured us, and He will bind up our wounds.
Then a promise about how sure God’s response is. His going forth is as sure as the dawn. He will come to us like the rain, like the spring rain that waters the earth.
As sure as the dawn. You don’t wonder whether the sun will rise tomorrow. That’s how certain God’s mercy is when you return.
Shame says: stay away until you’re better. Hosea says: come back now, as you are.
If you’ve slipped, there are some practical things first. If you’ve gone back to drinking heavily every day, stopping suddenly can be dangerous. Talk to a doctor.
Safety first. If you drink heavily every day, stopping suddenly can be dangerous. Talk to a doctor before you quit.
Tell someone today. Call your sponsor, or a trusted friend in recovery, or your pastor. Don’t wait until you feel better about it. Secrets grow in silence.
Get back to a meeting within a day or two. Go back to the steps. If you were in the middle of Step Six, a slip doesn’t mean starting over from Step One. Talk with your sponsor about where to pick up.
And look gently at what happened. Was there a defect at work? Resentment, self-pity, pride, isolation? That’s useful information. It’s not a reason for shame. It’s part of your Step Six list, and God can work with it.
Your current count may reset. But your lifetime sober days are still real. What you learned is still yours. And God’s mercy is as sure as the dawn.
For more help, read what to do after a relapse.
One thing today
Say Hosea’s words out loud: come, let us return to the Lord. Then call one person in recovery and tell them the truth.
A prayer
Lord, I fell, and I want to hide. But I’m coming back. Heal what’s broken. Bind up my wounds. Thank You that Your mercy is as sure as the dawn. Amen.
Returning is part of Step Six too.
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