Run to Him

The father in the parable of the prodigal son is about as clear of an image I can think of (though I can think of many more instances from the Bible and own personal experiences) that demonstrates God's desire toward the lost.  He is anxious to come and receive His lost son.  Check out verse 20, the father actually starts off running toward the son while the son was off in the distance!

Many are wanting to turn to God, but are filled with fear or lies about how they will be, if at all, received.  Many have an angst or a tugging (the work of the Holy Spirit) on their heart to turn to Him, to listen and turn from sin and obediently follow Him, but they are afraid they will not succeed in walking away from sin or in the endeavor that the Lord wants to lead them in - a losing of self that they may live.  In all truth, they won't be able to, that is they won't apart from Christ.  See that is the part of truth that the father of lies takes hold of and tries to magnify.  He will draw attention to the first part of the truth that we can do nothing apart from Christ.  But Christ promised otherwise!

Christ, in John 15:4, plainly lays out that He is our source of bearing fruit.  It is thru Him, the Vine that the branches are nourished and thrive.  And we are in Him because He has made it possible to be grafted into Him.  Christ has taken the punishment for all that would separate us from the Father and for all who come to Him for salvation, acknowledging their need for His perfect sacrifice, turning to Him from their sin, they will be received.

Why would one with this tugging on their heart not run to Him?  The only reason I have to offer is that they are still holding onto a false hope or believing a lie of who they are or who God is.  Do they think they are capable in their own strength - I think they know otherwise, deep down they know they are not.  Are they hearing they will be judged unworthy - I pray they hear they are indeed unworthy, but further they hear that God has already dealt out the justice due and it was dealt upon Christ at Calvary!

God is a God of Mercy and Grace, His perfect love for you will cast out all fear if you turn to Him.  Check out the following verses for a quick glimpse Micah 7:18, Romans 3:23-25,  2 Corinthians 5:21 and Romans 10:9-10.  His love is for all, as the last passage in Romans says, who put their trust in Christ!  The well known verse of John 3:16 doesn't say For God so loved "some" of the world ... He so loved ALL of the world, including you and me, that He sent Christ to die for our sins that we may have forgiveness and eternal life, be redeemed and restored unto the who we were created to be, His children.

I don't know where any readers are at, I only where I was and where I am now.  Christ has won the battle for me and proven over and over His faithfulness and my Father's affection toward me.  I have struggled with, and may again, though I pray not, who I am in my Father's eyes and His Grace toward me has abounded more and more.  I am nothing without Christ, but with Him and because of Him I am a child of God and that will never change.  I will surely walk thru days ahead that will have trials and there will be times of mourning as I have had in the past, but I am confident of my future because of whom I have believed in.  I will, if I focus on walking with my Savior, walk with joy and with purpose and if I notice I am far off from Him I will purpose  to run to Him and am sure to find He is running toward me.