What is God’s heart toward His people when they are suffering from their sin choices which are causing destruction in their lives?

God says, “I would redeem them, but…”

God’s heart is for redemption. He wants His people back. He paid for them to buy them back. He gave His own life. He paid with the blood of Christ.

God desires that everyone be saved, but He doesn’t force salvation on everyone. He wants our choice of Him. He makes Himself known. He teaches and trains.

God says that He “trained and strengthened their arms.” He was for Israel, for His children. He was for the church.

But…

God says, “They do not cry to me from the heart.” They may be crying, but they aren’t turning to God in their hearts. He says, “They return, but not upward.”

They are looking for help. They are looking for answers. They are looking for salvation, but they aren’t looking for it through repentance, through turning to God and calling on Him to save them.

God has disciplined them in the hopes of their return. They have been “silly and without sense.” They went elsewhere instead of going to God.

The church today has gone astray. They turn to the world for their help. They turn to the world for relief from their anxiety. They turn to the world for their joy and happiness. They turn to the world for their solutions. We don’t rely on God. In America, we can grow churches without God, without prayer, with just some know-how we can look successful.

God turns us over to our Egypt, to the world we seek after. It’s not a good thing. His discipline is a good thing. Take the rebuke and turn back to the Lord.