Imagine you are in a big garden, one with flowers of all beautiful bright colors imaginable, with bright blue skies and clear blue waters flowing smoothly like silk; the sun is shining a gentle warmth you’ve never felt before, and the grass is the perfect shade of green. Imagine being carefree, no responsibilities of the world to worry about, just as you were as a child. Imagine having all this and remember God’s promise to us: that He will give us “what no eye has seen nor ear heard”: a true Paradise indeed, one so good that we cannot even imagine it. Such is the promise that we are hoping and waiting for.
For if we know God’s true love for us, we would strive constantly, continuously seeking to appease Him and plead with Him to forgive us and have mercy upon us. But what happens when we think we don’t need God in our lives? What happens when we take what God has given us and do our heart’s desire?
Our lives are a gift from our Creator, a gift that must be used with a thankful and humble attitude towards all things, whether we perceive them as having a positive or a negative effect on our lives. To pursue one’s own desires over God’s daily presence in our lives is to reject and want to be away from Him. We must realize that the key to our lives and the salvation of us all is the hope in Jesus Christ, our true Lord and God. His sacrifice for us on the cross is His expression of love for us. To love someone so much that you are willing to sacrifice your very life for that person’s salvation….this is what Christ did for us. Once we have this understanding and realization, it is only natural to want to have His entity; His Spirit, in our everyday existence to guide us, nurture us, mend us, strengthen us, and be with us at all times. For when we know we are nothing without Him, we can accept Him into our hearts. But what if we happen to stray and reject Him, whether it is for a single moment or for years, even?
There is still hope, no matter what a person does. We all know the story of the Prodigal Son and from it, know for a certain fact that God wants us to always come back to Him, no matter what we have done or will do. My brothers and sisters, Christ gave us this parable to teach us that no matter what we do, he will ALWAYS take us back as long as we are willing to return to Him. How great of a mercy is this! Imagine you had a friend that cursed at you, spit at you, stole your possessions, pit others against you, did constant evils against you, and wished for nothing but pain and suffering for you. Now, what if he returns to you and says, “brother/sister, forgive me, for I have sinned greatly against the heavens and against you. Can you ever accept me back as your friend?” It is the Lord Jesus Christ that taught us to accept such a friend back and to forgive him/her and rejoice and be glad, for you have won your friend back! Imagine then that if we as humans have this capability, how much more love will God have for us when we come back to Him in humility and repentance? It is truly incomprehensible: a love that humbles the soul and makes one turn to God and feel the Lord’s presence in our lives day-by-day and minute by minute. Let us all offer praise and glory to the Lord for accepting us regardless of our many sins and may He forgive us all and help us to constantly offer repentance with the alter of our hearts. And Glory be to God forever
Author: Osama A
