God Runs
Children run.
Last Sunday our family was able to go to Werribee Zoo and finally see the robotic dinosaurs Joshua had waited over 3 months to see.
He was so excited that as soon as we entered the zoo gates, he ran towards the exhibit, not stopping to see the impressive gorillas or cuddly koalas along the way. When he entered the exhibit, he squealed with delight and ran from one dinosaur to another, barely pausing until he got to his favourite – the large, roaring tyrannosaurus rex.
I had to run to keep up with him, amazed at how joy lit up his whole body.
It’s one of my favourite things about children – their capacity to rejoice, their total abandon of pretence, and their contagious exuberance.
I remember when Micah was still learning to walk when my sister came to visit. He saw her from far away and started running towards her at an alarming speed, his arms open wide like a little birdie trying to fly.
When’s the last time you ran? Not for exercise, nor for a race, or even for a train, but for joy? Towards someone or something you love?
Grown-ups are too dignified to run. Too serious. Too jaded. Too self-conscious.
So it was a complete shock for the villagers, servants and labourers when a middle-aged man ran down the road shouting for joy, picking up speed as he hurled himself towards a scraggy-looking homeless man, barefoot and in tattered rags.
Everyone stopped and stared as he threw his arms around this vagabond and kissed him, weeping as he called out,
“Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found” (Luke 15:22-24 NIV).
Jesus told this story of the joyous father celebrating his son’s homecoming to illustrate that there is “rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:10).
So it’s ok if home is far away right now. If all you can do right now is walk, one weary step at a time. If all you can do right now is stand and face the right direction.
For God is coming. He is running towards us with joy and acceptance. He doesn’t mind that we have nothing but our shattered dreams and broken hearts. He doesn’t mind if we are disgraced and discouraged. All He sees is his beloved child who’s coming home.
He runs to satisfy our hunger for righteousness, our thirst for peace, our longing for a place to belong.
God runs to walk beside us on our journey home.
“For because He Himself [in His humanity] has suffered in being tempted (tested and tried), He is able [immediately] to run to the cry of (assist, relieve) those who are being tempted and tested and tried [and who therefore are being exposed to suffering]” (Hebrews 2:18, Amplified Bible).
God runs, because He loves.
by: Jinha Kim
"But those who drink the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14