I have to admit that some of my closest and most precious times with God are the moments when I've come back to Him after a time in the mud. The tears, the repentance, the open arms - it's a wonderful feeling. There is something deep and special in reconciliations.
But . . .the prodigal son should not have left. He had a wonderful, tearful reunion with his father, but he lost even more by leaving in the first place. Don't ever forget that. The brothers of Joseph had an unbelievable moment with him in that court in Egypt, but they never should have sold him out years before. Those are all lost years of a growing relationship.
We gain continually by constantly abiding with God and in Christ. Although His grace is wonderful to the backslider - you only regain upon your return. Many Christians are in a constant state of regaining what they backed away from.
The 'return trip' is always less than the 'stay.' Kept is better than coming back. Here's a great verse to meditate upon:
Romans 5:10 "For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life!"
Think about this: He reconciled us to Himself while we were dead in our sins. While we went prodigal on Him - He died for us, and what a wonderful reunion. However if we remain in Him, how much more will we gain through the life of Christ? Growing instead of regrouping.
Shoot for the 'much more' instead of the constant state of sorry.
1 comment:
you're making it tough to keep up! all good stuff though! keep them coming.
i really liked this one in particular because it encourages us to understand the the life following Christ cannot be beat. it is life and life to the fullest. solid message.
Post a Comment