“Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto Thee; Thou art the Lord our God.” He just puts words into the mouth of the backslider. Only come; and, if you will come, He will receive you graciously and love you
In Hosea 14:1, 2, 4:
“O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. Take with you words, and turn to the Lord (He puts words into your mouth): say unto Him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously; so will we render the calves of our lips … I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, for Mine anger is turned away from him.”
Just observe that, Turn! Turn!! Turn!!! rings all through these passages.
Now, if you have wandered, remember that you left Him, and not He you.
You have to get out of the backslider’s pit just in the same way you got in. And if you take the same road as when you left the Master you will find Him now, just where you are.
If we were to treat Christ as any earthly friend we should never leave Him; and there would never be a backslider. If I were in a town for a single week I should not think of going away without shaking hands with the friends I had made, and saying “Goodbye” to them. I should be justly blamed if I took the train and left without saying a word to anyone. The cry would be, “What’s the matter?”