Ron Writes

Years ago, I read a book titled “Will God Run?” It was based on Jesus’ story of the prodigal son (Lk. 15). The stunning part of this story is that the boy didn’t have to beg for reconciliation. He didn’t have to bang on his father’s door and cry to be let in. Rather, as soon as the father saw him, from a long distance, he ran to him, embraced him and kissed him. The point of the book and the story is that God doesn’t want to keep you out, he longs to bring you in! Yes, God will run to you! He is longing to have a relationship with you.

My search for God began with God’s search for me. He has been looking for me. He is longing for me. Jesus said, “I came to seek and save the lost.” He’s the good shepherd who would leave the 99 and go out and seek for me, the one that was lost.  I love God because He first loved me.

Too many envision God as a tyrant shouting orders from heaven. Looking for us to make the slightest misstep so that He might punish us and cast us into hell. That is not the God revealed in Scripture! He is a loving God who emptied himself, left heaven and came to live with us. Not only to live with us, but to die for us.

We have all seen the illustration of salvation as a man drowning and crying out for a life preserver to be thrown to him. That’s not accurate. We’re not drowning – we are already dead in our trespasses and sin. We’re beyond needing a life-preserver – we need resuscitation! God brings us back to life (Eph. 2)!

God takes no delight in the death of the wicked (Ez. 18:32), but He desires all men to be saved (1 Tim. 2:4). And He took the first step. He came. He died. He is pursuing us! Paul asks “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him feely give us all things” (Rom. 8:32)?

Christianity is not so much our pursuit for God as much as it is God’s pursuit for us!

Downloads