Life can be full of challenges and struggles, and at times, feel downright overwhelming. If we are not careful, our circumstances, flesh or the enemy can cause us to be deceived and we can find ourselves drifting far off course from God and His purpose for our lives. If that’s you, I believe you are reading this blog post right now because God loves you and is compelling you to Come Home…to come back to God and start walking with Him again in close fellowship. He has an incredible plan for your life and wants you to experience His unconditional love and acceptance, His peace that surpasses all understanding and the destiny you were born for.
I had a really good friend of mine in college drift off course spiritually. At one point in his life, he was on fire for God. He introduced me and my friends to the Spirit-filled Christian life and taught us how to walk in close fellowship with the Holy Spirit. He was a dynamic, bold Christian, full of the Word of God and power. Yet, amid all the amazing qualities he possessed, he had a nagging struggle with lust. He thought that one day God would just take away this temptation and it would never bother him again. He tried everything, including getting in prayer lines, declaring the Word of God over his situation and even attended all kinds of conferences. But because God never answered his prayer in the way he thought, he got disillusioned and started drifting. He strayed further and further away. Eventually, he stopped going to church altogether and fully embraced a lifestyle of sin. He wanted nothing to do with God or Christians. Instead of fighting the good fight of faith, falling every now and then, as we all do, he fully embraced the lusts of his flesh and he has never looked back since. To my knowledge, 20 years later, he is still running from God. My heart is often heavy for him and others like him that have walked away from God. Whenever the Lord brings him to mind, I pray for him. On many occasions, I’ve tried reaching out, but to no avail. My prayer is that he would come home.
Jesus told a story about a young man that asked his father for his inheritance prematurely. His father agreed to give it to him, and sadly, the son took his newfound wealth to a distant land and squandered it all on women, partying and lavish living. He didn’t care about anything else in life except himself. After wasting his money, a famine hit the land and he began to starve. With few options available, he found a job working for a farmer as a hired hand. His job was to feed the pigs. With little income and little food, he continued to starve. So much so, even the pig slop looked enticing. In a place of humility, the young man realized the life he had built for himself wasn’t working. Deep on the inside, he knew there was more to life than that. The Bible records in Luke 15:17-24 NLT,
“When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’ “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’ “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.”
The son finally came to his senses, humbled himself and returned home. He had a repentant heart or change of mind and direction. Instead of running away from his father, he ran back to him. His father was right there waiting for his return, not to scold him, but to embrace him. He was now back in fellowship with his dad, the one who loved him deeply. No matter the mistakes he had made, they could not keep him from his father’s love. He was embraced and accepted; he was family.
In the same way, regardless of what you’ve done or how far off course you have been, God loves you. He wants to re-establish fellowship with you. He has the wisdom to help guide you and get you back on track. He is also here to remove your shame and any sense of condemnation. The Bible says in Romans 8:1 NIV, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” God can take your mess, turn it around and use it to your advantage. That’s the kind of God we serve. The key is, to be honest with God and acknowledge your sin and shortcomings. Then receive His forgiveness by faith. You’ve lived long enough running from God; now it’s time to COME HOME. Will you? Will you let Him be the Lord of your entire life? He is knocking on the door of your heart saying, “Please let Me in. Let Me lead you.” Give God your failures, your mistakes, your inadequacies. Give Him your regrets, your shame and your bitterness. Give Him your busy schedule, your children, your desires and your dreams. Give Him everything. Then stand back and watch what He will do. He will take your ashes and make something beautiful out of them. Today is the day to surrender to God. Today is the day to get plugged back into a good church, to be part of a good body of Believers. Today is the day to come home.
