Jeremiah 8:4–22 paints a heartbreaking picture of a people who had drifted so far from God that they no longer even attempted to return. They had fallen, but refused to rise. They had turned away, but would not turn back. Yet even in His disappointment, God’s words were not filled with wrath alone—they were filled with an aching desire for His people to come home.
Beloved, Scripture makes it clear:
There is no one who is sinless.
Even the most celebrated men and women of faith had deeply flawed stories.
• David—an adulterer and a murderer—yet he knew how to return with a broken and contrite heart.
• Abraham—a liar out of fear—yet he walked back into the covenant path God laid before him.
• Jacob—a deceiver—yet he wrestled until his identity and destiny were redeemed.
What made them great was not their perfection, but their posture of repentance. They returned. They turned their faces back to God and the Lord, in His faithfulness, responded with mercy. This is the same promise God makes to us in:
Isaiah 1:18
“Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.”
1 John 1:8–9
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us… and cleanse us.
Repentance was never meant to be complicated. It was never meant to be a ladder to climb. Repentance is simply the heart turning back to the Father who already stands with open arms.
But in Jeremiah’s day, something tragic happened:
The leaders made repentance difficult.
The priests no longer taught truth. The scribes no longer believed the words they copied. Some prophets preached only what the people wanted to hear. They offered comfort without conviction, and affirmation without alignment to the will of God. This caused the people to drift further into deception, presumption, and spiritual numbness.
Yet even then, God kept calling, “Return unto Me.” Not in condemnation, but in longing.
Not in shame, but in love. Because while God is patient and merciful, He is also holy and just.
Galatians 6:7–8 reminds us:
“God is not mocked… whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.”
This is not a threat—it is a gentle caution.
It is God reminding us that the seeds of disobedience will always yield sorrow, but the seeds of repentance will always yield life. And here is the good news: It is never too late to return.
Not for the weary.
Not for the broken.
Not for the one who strayed.
Not for the one who messed up again and again.
The Lord is still healing—
just as Jeremiah cried out in Jeremiah 8:22,
“Is there no balm in Gilead?”
Yes, beloved.
There is a balm.
There is a Healer.
There is restoration.
That balm is Jesus.
That healing is His mercy.
That restoration is His forgiveness.
That renewal is His Spirit drawing us back into fellowship.
So today, if your heart feels heavy…
If your steps have strayed…
If your spirit feels distant…
If your fire feels faint…
Hear the voice of the Lord whispering:
“Return to Me, My child.
Come as you are.
Come with your weakness.
Come with your wounds.
Come with your truth.
My arms are open.”
Returning to the Lord is not a shameful walk—
It is the beginning of healing.
It is the doorway to peace.
It is the path of joy.
It is the road back to purpose.
No matter how far you have gone…
No matter how long you have stayed away…
No matter what you have done…
The Father is waiting to receive you.
Let your heart rise.
Let repentance wash you.
Let mercy restore you.
Let love welcome you back.
This is the hour to return to the Lord.
Not in fear—but in faith.
Not with guilt—but with gratitude.
Not as a stranger—but as a beloved child.
His mercy is still fresh.
His arms are still open.
His love is still calling.
Come home.
Come whole.
Come healed.
Return to the Lord—and live.
With Love, Esinam.
Virtuous Living 