Deuteronomy 4:29-31
In all of your troubles, you may finally decide that you want to worship only the Lord. And if you turn back to him and obey him completely, he will again be your God. The Lord your God will have mercy—he won’t destroy you or desert you. The Lord will remember his promise, and he will keep the agreement he made with your ancestors.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Our five-year-old nephew, Timothy, plays this little game with me sometimes when we are at the park or out in the yard where he runs and expects me to chase him. He will look back and say, “You can’t catch me!” I often laugh and tease him, “I don’t want to catch you!” I’m fairly certain that he will not go very far…that he will double back pretty quickly and return to me. Timothy will dart from tree to tree in the park, stopping to pick up a leaf or a stick. Or he will amble along singing to himself and just basking in his “freedom”. Once in a while I have to take a few steps toward him and reel him in a bit…but usually I simply stand back and watch…and allow him to find his way back to the playground or driveway. I’m not about to let him get too close to the lake or run into the street…but I have let him wander far enough away that he couldn’t see me momentarily (I can always see him!)…and he gets a little concerned and returns pretty swiftly!
Timothy also seems to worry just a little about getting older. He recently told his barber that his hair was growing fast because…“I’m just getting old.” When we tell him that he is growing up and becoming such a big boy, he will quickly ask, “But I’m still your baby…right?” It is very important to him to be reassured that we will always love him…always be here for him, no matter how old he gets or what happens.
Can I tell you something? You will always be God’s baby! There very well may be a time in your life when you run from God…a time when you decide that you can do a better job of managing your life on your own. You may conclude that you don’t like His “rules”…that Christian discipleship is just not your thing – or that it isn’t working well for you. You might determine that life would be a whole lot more fun if you weren’t constantly worried about God looking over your shoulder. And so you take off and run. You dabble with this “leaf” or that “twig”…and you may actually think you have gotten out of God’s sight!
But you are only fooling yourself. I promise you, for every minute of “fun” you think you are having in the devil’s world, you are missing out on real joy that comes from the freedom of living in God’s will. Yes, I said freedom. Because keeping God at the forefront of your life will provide you with the true liberation to fully live…to enjoy everything He has given you with abandonment. No more looking over your shoulder to see if someone is judging you or poised to check you for your choices and behaviors. No more worrying about whether you are doing the right thing…no more uneasiness that this might not be the best path to take. You know that you know that you know that you are living within God’s plan…that He is guiding each and every step and giving you all you need to enjoy your journey.
Does this mean everything will be easy and a bed of roses? No…but it won’t matter, because you will know that God has your back! Trust me…this makes a world of difference! ABC News anchor Robin Roberts has written a new book titled Everybody’s Got Something…and she is exactly right. But Roberts would be the first to tell you that when God is in charge of your life, you can handle anything with His help!
I know that I have to allow Timothy to try a few things…and to make his own mistakes along the way. And this is what God does with us. But He is always there…willing and waiting to welcome us back into His arms. Don’t keep wandering farther and farther away. Turn back to Him…sooner than later…and start experiencing all that He has to offer you. God has not deserted you. He is waiting for you to turn around and recognize Him…to return to Him – or maybe to call on Him for the first time ever. As the Nike slogan says, “Just do it!” You’re still God’s baby…turn around and come back to Him. Make this the day that you stop running from God…and really start to live!
©2014 Debbie Robus
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