A while ago, the pastor at the church I attend at college (check it out here) had an amazing example of how God wants us to come to Him. At the time, his son, Danny, was about two years old. Danny hadn’t seen his father for most of the day and Matt, the pastor, had his wife keep him out of the service. When Matt had finished speaking, his wife came in with Danny and set Danny down.
Though it was pretty far from the back to the stage in the front, this fact didn’t hinder little Danny one bit. He screamed out, “Daddy!” and took off flying as fast as his little legs would carry him… right into the arms of his waiting father. Danny jumped and Matt caught him up. Danny’s joy was evident, but so was Matt’s. He adored his child and his face couldn’t hide that.
“That,” Matt said, “is how God wants you to come to Him.”
It was a beautiful moment to behold and there were more than a few sniffles that could be heard scattered throughout the audience.
Danny saw his dad and ran. It didn’t matter that 600 eyes were watching him. It didn’t matter that it was kind of far away. It didn’t matter that he might fall. His dad was there and nothing was going to keep him from getting to his father.
Shouldn’t it be like that with us and our heavenly Father? But it’s not always the case. We so often let the world interfere. No, we think, I won’t do that. What would people think?, Hey God? we question, if that’s really You, just speak up a little bit so I can be sure. I don’t know, God, we protest, that’s kind of hard. Are you sure?, But why would God use me, after I’ve done that?
Or maybe it’s that we question God himself. Or maybe we may think that you are beyond reconciliation with God, that it’s been too long and we’ve done too much… but God doesn’t think that. Maybe we’re like the young man who explained how, at one point, he had viewed God’s love for us as similar to how he, himself, loved his cousins. Oh, he liked them well enough, but he didn’t really bother to think about them or call them that often. Now, this man of God understands. God LOVES us; God is not a distant God.
“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)
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you! (James 4:8)
Neither of those verses make God seem distant. Because He loves us intimately. He wants to romance us. That was something I took away from Matt’s message. If Matt had that much joy after his earthly child had just run to him, how much more joy does God have when we run to Him?
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14). How do kids come to adults? If they’re not hindered, they usually come with unbridled enthusiasm, joy and lots of energy. They don’t walk, they run.
I’m still figuring out exactly what’s been keeping me from fully running towards God in the past. The world gets in the way, but sometimes I get in my way more. This mission trip, these 11 months, are me sprinting towards God. My gait is a little off still and I’m a bad runner (ask my high school track coach!). but my eyes are set on my Father…and by golly, I will run, with a joyful shout, into His waiting arms!
