Just Can't Wait
So often God feels far off from us. Like the younger son in Luke 15, we sense ourselves to be in a distant country, far from home, far from our Father's love. But the story tells us that the father sees his son from a long way off, is filled with compassion (such deep love!), and runs as fast as he can to welcome him. God doesn't wait; he's always longing to close the gap between us, to meet us where we are.
Take a few minutes to read over this passage from Rom. 5. How do you hear the heart of the Father running toward his poor, travel-weary child in these words? Imagine yourself being held close with love pouring over you. What are you hearing or feeling?
"... we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit! Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He didn’t, and doesn’t, wait for us to get ready. He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn’t been so weak, we wouldn’t have known what to do anyway. We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him." (vv. 5b-8, Message version)
Bonuses for the week
- A printable fingertip prayer labyrinth with instructions, HERE.
- An invitation to meet up with Brenna and anyone else interested TONIGHT, Thursday at 6pm, to walk the prayer labyrinth in the courtyard of Grace Brethren Church, 3601 Linden Ave. We may grab coffee & pie at Bake N Broil afterwards!