Come Home Running

Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. They called to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?' -Revelation 6:15-17 (NIV)

Last year, I led a small group study on the book of Revelation. In one of the commentaries I consulted in preparation for the class, the verses featured in this morning's devotional were emphasized.

The commentator pointed out that, in these verses, when confronted with their sin and God's judgment, humanity hid. The commentator then reminded the reader that this response was not unusual, that when the first man and woman disobeyed God and ate from the tree in Genesis 3, they too hid among the trees of the garden in an effort to run from God.

Why is it worth making the comparison to the beginning (the story of the first man and woman) and the end (the story of Revelation)? It's worth making because it reminds us that sin always results in people running and hiding from God. If we don't run completely away from God, we at least try to hide that part of our lives from God that we know is contrary to God's will.

The good news is that God sent Jesus to restore your relationship with God so that you need not hide and you need not run. In Christ, you have the opportunity to throw yourself at the feet of Jesus. I can assure you that His greatest desire is to save you, to redeem you, to reconcile and make you new.

Tired of running and hiding? Then in the words of the Chris Tomlin song, "Come home running, His arms are open wide. His name is Jesus. He understands. He is the answer you are looking for, so come home running just as you are."

May God grant you the grace to come home running today.

If you're interested in reading through the Bible in a year, tomorrow's suggested readings are Ezekiel 17-19 and Revelation 7. Sunday's readings are Ezekiel 20-21, Psalm 111, and Revelation 8. I'll be back on Monday with a devotional from Ezekiel 22-24 and/or Revelation 9.