Have you ever stopped to consider why God pursues us like He does? I have, and it amazes me more and more all the time. In fact, whenever I think I have gained a little bit of understanding about God’s great love He shows me something else that astounds me all over again.
God is love. We say it all the time. And we even think we know what it means. But we don’t; not really. We try to impose our idea of love and companionship on what God is doing with us and that of course leads us to a very imperfect understanding and a very distorted picture. I believe this is why Paul wrote “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.” (1 Corinthians 13:12)
Matthew Henry, the respected 17th Century theologian, said it like this: “All things are dark and confused now, compared with what they will be hereafter. They can only be seen as by the reflection in a mirror, or in the description of a riddle; but hereafter our knowledge will be free from all obscurity and error. It is the light of heaven only, that will remove all clouds and darkness that hide the face of God from us.”
One day we will understand that God is love. We will see Him face to face and I believe that first glimpse will far surpass the sum of every happiness and joy that we have ever experienced. It will be worth the wait. It will be worth all the work. And it will far surpass the world that we have forsaken.
Even so, God is drawing us to know Him now. Notice the last part of 1 Corinthians 13:12. “Just as I also am known.” God knows us. He knows us completely and totally. And yet He still loves and accepts us and invites us into a relationship with Him.
No matter how far we run, no matter what we do or what we become; God comes to meet us.
We see this illustrated in the parable of The Lost Sheep in the 15th Chapter of Luke. The shepherd, who represents Jesus, looses 1 sheep out of his flock of 100. He goes and searches for His lost sheep and when he finds it He picks it up, puts on His shoulders (can you imagine being in a better spot than carried on the mighty shoulders of our God?) and returns to the flock. When he arrives home, all of His friends and neighbors (the heavenly host) rejoice that the one lost sheep has been found.
There is joy in heaven and on earth when God comes to meet us and we let him carry us home. The desire of our Lord is to carry each and every one of His precious children home but he always gives us the choice. It is our decision to make. Just remember, the journey home starts when we allow God to meet us right where we are, just as we are.
Have you allowed God to meet with you? Are you already on the path that leads to a home eternal?
“We try to impose our idea of love and companionship on what God is doing with us and that of course leads us to a very imperfect understanding and a very distorted picture.”
I absolutely love that you pointed this out!