One day, I took my two sons shoe shopping in a very busy New York mall. While Stephen, my oldest, was trying on some shoes, my three-year-old decided to see how fast he could run. And run he did! He zipped out of that store like a flash.
I told Stephen to stay put while I raced after Clint. With my heart pounding, I pushed through the crowd, trying to catch a glimpse of my son’s head. Finally, I saw his hair bouncing up and down.
“Clint! Clint!” I yelled. (I’m sure I called out Jesus’ name too, so people may have been confused about what my child’s name was!)
All of a sudden, Clint stopped and turned around. I was so relieved when I got to him. I wrapped my arms around him, scooped him up, and nearly burst out crying.
Why did I pursue my son like that? Why was my heart so desperate to capture him? Because he is my child, and I love him deeply. There’s only one of him, and his value to me is priceless, just like that of each of my children. But my human love as a mother gives only the smallest glimpse of God’s love and value for every person on this planet.
Our heavenly Father values every human life—from every precious little baby in the womb to every child and young adult to the middle aged and the oldest here on earth. Not one person escapes His loving eyes. Our society has so devalued human life, but God hasn’t! His love is fierce and forgiving. It pursues relentlessly and protects continuously.
Regardless of your past or present situation, God is pursuing you. He is calling you by name. Will you surrender to His call?
Now, we all know God can outrun us any day of the week. But God is a gentleman. He will never force you to come to Him. He waits patiently for you to make the choice to stop, turn around, and come to Him, so He can swoop you up and wrap His massive arms of unconditional love around you.
It’s time to stop running from Love. Come to Him today through a relationship with His Son, Jesus. In His arms, you will find freedom, value, and a life of hope.
If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn’t wander away! In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father’s will that even one of these little ones should perish.
Matthew 18:12–14
Written by Linda Cubbedge
Photo by Alex Blăjan
