I recently heard several testimonies by men who described how God saved them when they were young and really began to move in their lives in later years. This seems to be a pattern for those who grow up in Christian homes. As children, many people commit to Jesus Christ and are baptized. They drift away from the Lord but then return after college or marriage. Salvation brings us into the family of God. However, like the prodigal son, many wander from the Lord and then come back with greater zeal than ever before.
God never gives up on us. The Bible says, “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns” (Philippians 1:6). God has invested in your life. Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins, and He rose again from the dead. His Spirit came to live in your life the moment you trusted Christ to save you. You belong to Him. You may drift, wander, ignore, or neglect the Lord, but He is pursuing you. When Jesus told the story of the one sheep who left the fold and went into the wilderness, He also said that the shepherd leaves the ninety-nine safe in the fold and searches for the one that has strayed (Luke 15:4).
Sometimes believers will question whether God still loves them. The enemy reminds us of our flaws and failures and sometimes successfully convinces us that God could never love someone who has fallen so far. There is no despair like the person who believes they are no longer loved by God. The Bible, though, teaches that the love of God is forever. God told His people as they walked through days of trial, “I have loved you with an everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3, NIV). The book of Romans declares, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39, NIV). As a child of God, you are forever secure in His love.
Maybe today you are feeling like the lost sheep or the wayward son. Maybe in recent days your heart has been stirred by a desire to draw near to God and sincerely follow Him. I have good news – you can! In the midst of chastising Christians for their worldly behavior and defiled hearts, James states, “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:7-8, NKJV). The Lord is pursuing you today. He wants you to come back to Him. His eagerness for your return is described in Luke 15 when the father ran to greet the wayward son. The only time in the Bible when we see God in a hurry is when He runs to meet the son who is coming home.