God is
relentless. All through the Story of God
in the Bible He is seeking those sheep who are lost. When others give up He is steadfast in His
invitation and call to “COME!” Though
His people, His children forsake and abandon Him, He never forsakes or abandons
them. Right up to the end of time He is
calling and wanting their response. But
I have to ask what kind of God this is?
It must be our choice for He will not demand our love and devotion. He created us free to love; it is our choice
who our love and devotion go to. What
kind of God does that?
Time and time
again we, as God’s people, have squandered our love and devotion on golden
calves, idols of all kind, man made images of created things, the pleasures of
the world, our hand made cisterns, on everything and everybody except Him. In former times His anger was provoked and
punishment was given. But, He has never
given up on His people. Behold, what
manner of love He has bestowed on us!
The Jews gave up on
the Samaritans. But Jesus sat at the
well of Jacob and encountered a woman who had come to draw water. “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is
that is saying to you, ’give me a drink’, you would have asked him, and he
would have given you living water.” She
asked Him for that water and came to know who He was, and went to bring others
to Him.
The water He
offered her comes from God, the Fountain of Living Water that ends all thirst
and becomes in one who drinks a spring of water welling up within to eternal
life. The woman asked, came to know the
Christ, and left her water jar behind, unfilled.
In the end of
time, at the finishing act of God’s Story recorded in the Bible, the same
invitation and call is found. “It is
finished! I am the Alpha and Omega, the
beginning and the end. To the thirsty I
will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.” The call comes at the very end of the Story. “The Spirit and the Bride say ‘COME’. And let the one who is thirsty come; let the
one who desires take the water of life without price.”
No one has an
excuse for not dwelling with God throughout eternity and being one of His
people except those who choose not to.
Some will choose to continue squandering their inheritance in reckless
living, choosing the desires of the flesh and the pleasures of the world that
are Satan’s deceptions and delusions.
Some will choose to keep trying to quench their thirst from the cisterns
they have made for themselves, even though they are broken and hold no water. Others will choose to see their guilt and
recognize Jesus’ goodness even as death is near and ask, “Jesus remember me
when you come into your kingdom”, and will be welcomed by Jesus who was hanging
on the cross next to him, so that could be done. Others will come to their senses and realize
how good their Father is and how good they truly had and will run to their
Father sorry for their sin and selfish ways, wanting only to be treated as a
hired servant, only to find their Father running toward them, welcoming him or
her as an honored child.
All of created
humanity has this choice and always has. The price has been paid for all who
ask, who believe, and receive. The
choice is mine and yours.
As the final act
of God’s Story is coming near the call still goes out…”If anyone thirsts, let
him come to me and drink” (John 7:37).
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