Coming Home - a Devotional for the Prodigal Heartഉദാഹരണം

Day Seven:

Coming Home Again and Again

Scripture Focus:
“I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.” — Isaiah 44:22 (NIV)
“Return, Israel, to the Lord your God. Your sins have been your downfall!” — Hosea 14:1 (NIV)
“Come near to God and he will come near to you.” — James 4:8 (NIV)

Devotional:
You’d think coming home would get easier after the first time. That once you’ve felt the Father’s embrace and walked in freedom, you’d never wander again. But if you're anything like me, the drift can still happen—quietly, subtly, unintentionally. And before you know it, you’re halfway down a path you never meant to take.

The beauty of grace isn’t just that it meets you once. It’s that it keeps meeting you.

Coming home isn’t a one-time, big emotional moment. It’s a lifestyle. A rhythm. A heart posture that keeps turning toward the Father—even when you mess up. Even when you forget. Even when you’re tempted to hide again.

That’s what makes the story of Hosea and Gomer worth noting.

Hosea is a prophet. Gomer is a woman who walks away—again and again. She’s unfaithful. She chooses lesser loves. She abandons the one who’s chosen her. And yet, God tells Hosea to go after her. To buy her back. To restore her. Not because she deserved it. But because it was a picture of how He loves us.

“Return, Israel, to the Lord your God…” Hosea 14:1 says. It’s an invitation, not a scolding. A gentle wooing back to the heart of God. Because no matter how many times you wander, He’s still your home.

And then there’s Isaiah 44:22: “Return to me, for I have redeemed you.” Notice the order. He doesn’t say return so He can redeem. He says return because it’s already done. The redemption has already been purchased. The welcome mat is already out.

You don’t have to re-earn your place in the family. You just have to remember where home is.

James 4:8 puts it plainly: “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” There’s no hesitation in His step. No crossed arms or sideways glances. Just nearness. Always.

So maybe today isn’t about a dramatic return. Maybe it’s about choosing Him again. Saying yes to His voice over your shame. Saying yes to staying close, even when you’re tempted to pull away.

Because home isn’t just a destination. It’s a daily invitation.

Takeaway:
You don’t have to find your way back—you just have to turn around. God is always ready to meet you where you are.

Prayer:
Father, thank You for not growing tired of me. Thank You that grace doesn’t run out on the days I drift. I want to live close to You—not just occasionally, but daily. Help me recognize when I’m pulling away and give me the courage to turn back, over and over again. I’m so grateful that coming home is always an option.

Journal Prompt:
What does “coming home” look like for you today—not just in a big spiritual sense, but in your actual life?

Write a simple prayer of return—a reminder that your heart belongs with Him.