Return...

The people of Judah were exiled to Babylon because they were unfaithful to the LORD. (1 Chronicles 9:1a NLT)

The story is as old as time.  Turn against God and He will turn against you.  It's a lose-lose situation.  God loses because He doesn't want to fight us.  We lose because...well...you cannot fight against God and win.

There's another chapter to this story.  There could be, at least.  The fighting can stop if we simply decide to stop...and return to Him.  This option is available to us now.  This option was available to them back then.

The first of the exiles to return to their property in their former towns were priests, Levites, Temple servants, and other Israelites. Some of the people from the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh came and settled in Jerusalem. (1 Chronicles 9:2-3 NLT)

Person by person, family by family, they began returning to God.  The return began with those who should "know better" - the religious leaders who's jobs centered around Him.  Then the others began to follow.

Returning is a very humbling experience.  Returning requires the recognition that God is on a different path than I am.  Returning means I need to admit that my path is wrong.  Returning requires me to change my path.

I'd much rather walk with God in the first place.  But when I don't, I'm glad I have the option to return to Him.  Every day I check myself, usually many times a day, to make sure I'm not running off somewhere He never intended me to be.  And when I find myself getting off His path, I return.