“The Lord our God is merciful and
forgiving,
even though we have rebelled against
Him.” Dan. 9:9
An excerpt from David Redding in his book called Jesus Makes Me Laugh:
“A big black Scottish shepherd, Teddy was my dog, and he
would do anything for me. He waited for me to come home from school. He slept
beside me, and when I whistled he ran to me even if he was eating. At night no
one would get within a half mile without Teddy’s permission. During those long
summers in the fields I would only see the family at night, but Teddy was with
me all the time. And so when I went away to war, I didn’t know how to leave
him. How do you explain to someone who loves you that you’re leaving him?
So coming home that first time from the Navy (during WWII)
was something I can scarcely describe. The last bus stop was 14 miles from the
farm. I got off there that night about 11pm and walked the rest of the way home.
It was 2 or 3am before I was within a half mile of the house. It was pitch
dark, but I knew every step of the way. Suddenly Teddy heard me and began his
warning barking. I whistled only once. The barking stopped. There was a yelp of
recognition, and I knew that a big black form was hurtling toward me in the
darkness. Almost immediately he was there in my arms. …What comes home to me
now is the eloquence with which that unforgettable memory speaks to me of my
God…
If my dog, without any explanation, would love me and take me back
after all that time, wouldn’t my God?”
Might you be in a dark space currently? Perhaps desiring to
be in God’s loving embrace, yet you can’t fathom Him forgiving you of your sins
and taking you back?
Recorded in Scripture is this beautiful pictorial of God’s
forgiveness and love:
“When he was still a long way off, his
father saw him. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced
and kissed him. The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and
in your sight. I am not worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to
his servants, ‘Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him…bring the fatted calf
…let us eat and be merry for this
son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is now found.’” Lk. 15:11-32
God tells us that He rescues us from the dominion of
darkness and brings is into His glorious kingdom, casting our sins from His
remembrance (Col. 1:13-14, Is. 43:25, Ps. 103:12, Heb. 8:12). Jesus already
paid the penalty for our transgressions, it’s our choice whether we
choose to humble ourselves, believe He is Who He says He is, accept His free
gift and become royal sons and daughters of the King.
“Repent, then and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that
times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” Acts 3:19
He loves us each so very dearly.
Much love and squeezes, ~Shaun and Betsy
