“The Lord said, ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.’” Jeremiah 32:3 (NIV)
I have a fear problem.
A couple of years ago, I was in a terrible car accident on a rainy day. I totaled my car and broke my back.
And now I have an unbelievable fear of driving, especially in the rain.
Today, I drove to the hospital to visit my daughter. Yes, it was raining, but just a little. As I entered the freeway, a huge lightning bolt shot down next to my car, and I started shaking. Then I began praying for God to keep me safe and commanded the rain to hold off in Jesus’ name. You see, my daughter needed me, and I was going to be strong.
I had driven most of the way and was off the freeway before the rain came down. As I pulled into the hospital parking lot, I thanked God for keeping me safe.
Like us, God shows up for His children.
But going home was another matter. I began to fret and dread the drive. As anxious thoughts flooded my mind, I decided to head home before the weather worsened. I was so busy solving my problem that I forgot to pray.
Just as I was about to turn into the lane for the freeway onramp, the rain started coming down fast and furious in big, fat, hard drops. So I passed by the on-ramp and pulled into a mall parking lot. Then I sat there, lost and afraid, and began to cry and shake. The anxiety and fear were so bad that I could barely breathe.
Then, I called my husband, hoping he could talk me down. I waited out the downpour and consulted Google for an alternative route home, one that avoided the freeway. And just as I got up the nerve to start my car and head out, I saw my husband’s truck. He called me and talked me through each turn and traffic light over the speakerphone, leading me home slowly and carefully, one block at a time.
That’s love!
When I got home, I couldn’t help but see my husband’s love as an example of how God leads us home when we are lost and afraid. When fear grips us, God says, “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand” (Isaiah 41:10, NLT).
But even better, when we are lost and afraid of the consequences of our sin, God calls us and leads us home to Him. God loves us so much that He doesn’t care how far we’ve wandered or how many sins and mistakes we’ve made. He merely says, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness” (Jeremiah 31:3, NIV).
God loves us so much that not only does He draw us to Himself, but He is also patient with us. “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9, NIV).
God is patient when He tries to call us to Him. He is even patient when we make mistakes or forget to pray and try to solve everything in our own strength.
That’s God’s amazing, unconditional love!
God leads us home when we are lost, afraid, and anytime we wander too far. Then, when we arrive, God envelops us in His loving arms. And just as my husband did when I climbed from behind the wheel of my car, God whispers, “You are safe now, you are home.”
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you that no matter how far we’ve wandered, in fear, through mistakes, and in our own messes, you always lead us home to you. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
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