I’ve had this conversation with a few people over the years, and I believe it more today than ever.  If someone asks  me how I know I’m saved, one of the first things I’ll tell them is that I know I’m saved because every time I tried to run away from God He wouldn’t let me go.

There are two times when people are generally tempted to walk away from their faith, sin and suffering.  Christians are called be vigilant against sin, calling upon God in their need daily, and pursuing holiness, evidencing their faith and trust in God.  When we do not do this, ongoing sin, usually leads to more and more sin, hiding sin, guilt/shame from sin to the point where if God did not intervene, someone would likely destroy their life and their faith.  Now, sometimes God may restore a Christian gently through other believers or a gentle word from the Bible, but more often than not, the mercy and love of God for a sinning Christian involves pain.  God disciplines those He loves, and He reminds us of the end result of sin, by allowing us to feel the effects of it, and so uses the pain associated with that sin to turn us back to Himself in faith.

In suffering, many people question why God allowed something to happen.  Maybe its cancer, maybe it’s the death of a loved one, maybe it’s someone else sinning greatly against us, or maybe it’s the loss of a job or home.  In these times, a range of emotions are rising and falling within us, but amidst the turmoil of our soul, God speaks.  All things are but a shadow of what is to come, and the glory that is to be revealed to us.  God puts a song into our heart, “I am continually with you; you hold my right hand.  You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory.  Whom have I in heaven but you?  And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.  My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”  (Psalm 73:23-26)

This is real Christianity – not the Facebook, “everything is perfect” type of Christianity.  The Church and Christians that make it up are messy.  Life is messy.  Christians are broken.  We are sinners, saved by the grace of God through Jesus.  We will have troubles in this life, and our comfort is not found in this world, or the counsel of non-Christians, but in the God who loves us, and never lets go even when we try.

My encouragement today, is to consider your life – are there areas where you are trying to run away from God?  Stop and consider – when has that ever worked out well for you?  If you can run away from God, and God doesn’t intervene, I’m just going to say this – that probably means you’re not a Christian, because God disciplines His children in love (Heb 12:6).  God is loving to bring pain into the lives of Christians to restore us to Himself, but instead, let us return and remain with God now, for our own good and greater joy in God.

Hosea 6:1-3 – “Come, let us return to the Lord;
    for he has torn us, that he may heal us;
    he has struck us down, and he will bind us up.
² After two days he will revive us;
    on the third day he will raise us up,
    that we may live before him.
³ Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord;
    his going out is sure as the dawn;
he will come to us as the showers,
    as the spring rains that water the earth.”

Grace and Peace,

Adam