When I had nowhere to turn. He was the only place I could come home to. When I had no shoulders to lean, His arms were so wide and His shoulders were so warm. He pulled me again close to His heart and never left me. He carried me and turned my mourning into dancing. He said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you My child."
He draws near even we're in our mess, even in our lowest, even in our loneliest days, and even in our failures. He never measures us on our defeats and wins as human do. He draws nearer when we come to Him even our hearts are broken and with our empty hands. He does not turn away and run away. He always finds His lost sheep and carries them back home.
When I had nowhere to turn, He was the only place I could come home to. When I had no shoulders to lean, His arms were so wide and His shoulders were so warm. He pulled me again close to His heart and never left me. He carried me and turned my mourning into dancing. He said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you My child. I know your fragile heart and My hands are warm and firm, thus I could hold each vein. I see you and I am with you. I am always here for you. I named you even when you were in your mother's womb. I knitted you and I do have plans for you, not to harm you but to give you hope and a future, My child. I am still proud of you not because of what you do, simply because you are my child. Just hold on to my Word. I always keep My Word."
Indeed, when you run to the Father be ready to fall into His grace.
I thought God's favor is only in times of abundance, purposeful days when my plans are fulfilled, when I put a check mark on my goals, when my feet are strong and when I see smiling faces around. But I realized God's favor and grace are also found in the place of weariness, prayerlessness, and doubtfulness, in our darkest days and deep valleys, and we have to see them.
He always keeps His promises and we're forgetful most of the time. Growing up in church differs from growing up in Christ. Not because we're in the church serving Him fully, it does mean we're closer to God. Our relationship to Jesus matters most and I realized it does not happen in just a snap of a finger. Growing intimate with God is a daily practice, daily trust, daily obedience, daily confession, and daily surrender. And it takes courage, patience, love and faith to come to Him and to get to know Him. It takes obedience to walk in the power of the Spirit and to flee from our natural desires.
And when we lost track in the maze and we don't have strength to find our way back home, He will find us when we're lost and even we run away and hide from Him, He will still find ways to lead us back into His heart and hear His beats. He always welcomes His children with His loving embrace. There are always consequences for us to learn, but it does not diminish His love for us.
Perhaps, you also feel the same or felt the same before. I might not know your story, but if you are reading this, He leads you here. When we're growing up, we feel capable on our own but I realized I should always remember that I am nothing but His child so I can always lean to His strength and not on my own, His ways, His plans, and His wisdom because it is better than my ways.
He will lead you back home just like the prodigal son to his father.
18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ 20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’22 But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.
Luke 15:18-24, Bible Gateway
