The first thing about the nature of God's relationship with us is that He gives to us a love that we do not deserve. We do not merit it. But not only is the love of God unmerited; it is also a love that grows and is sustained by relationship. The longer we walk with Him, the more we understand how glorious this love is. Through the prophet Hosea, God spoke graphically to a nation running from his presence. As individuals, He chases after us, woos us into his arms, pays the price to buy us back, cleans us up, and brings us home. Through his Son, God has reached out his arms to pay the price for our sin, to offer us new life, and to give us fresh hope and meaning. Let us come to the Cross as we are: sinners needing mercy, children desiring love, souls weary of running through our nights and days, and ready to follow the one who calls them.
But even more so lets be like Esther and catch His eye. You know after all the preparations of months of perfumes and oils, all the women come near to the King and yet only Esther catches his eye. Her devotion to His person made all the difference. And in reality that is what we need to see. that God is our King we are in His Kingdom and our devotion must be to HIM.
Many of us just look at Church/religion and see it as the same old same old thing. We seem to have lost the desire for MORE. I talk to people about "His presence" and a lot reply like, "yes it's great", and yet I know in my heart that many have lost the ability to tarry. (Or wait for His presence.) We have forgotten or never experienced the manifest presence of God. Can we, Will we, return to our first love?
Its all our choice, our decision, our life in Him.
Oh God draw us back again...
Those are my thoughts, Pastor Rob
