A Wandering Child & A Patient God
Lisa Barry posted an adorable video with this thought attached, and it really got me thinking. This is what she said:
“I often wonder, for those who choose not to have God in their lives, why not? What do they think life with God would be like? They must have a totally different picture in their head than I do. Well, then I found this video. ❤️ He loves us. He is patient when we are prone to wander.” 👇
In the video a small child is leading a big dog by a leash. The child steps into a puddle, seems intrigued, and lays down the leash. The dog patiently waits while he walks back towards the puddle, looking back at the dog every so often. The little one then runs back and forth through the puddle a few times, immersing himself in the fun and adventure of the experience. He runs further past the puddle, then pauses on the other side before walking through the puddle once again. He walks over and takes the leash up, then walks on with the dog the same way they were heading before.
He Will Never Leave You
There’s so much to be gleaned from the comparison of this video and life with God. We humans are prone to distraction, boredom, and ultimately wandering sometimes from our deepest beliefs and relationships. Think of the dog in the video as God and the puddle as the mundane and worthless things that can so easily distract us from Him. We might be tempted to think that when we are distracted from our walk with God or when we feel distant from Him, that He’s the one that’s moved away from us. On the other side of the “puddle” (whatever has drawn us away from God), we might stop and think we can never get back to Him. That what we’ve done is too shameful to ever return to His side. Thankfully, that’s not the case.
“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31.8 NIV
God’s Patience
In a world often driven by snap judgements and instant gratification, the concept of God’s patience stands as a timeless example of steadfast endurance. Throughout the Bible, we encounter stories of God’s patience everywhere, like the parable of the prodigal son or in the lifetime of Noah, Abraham, and Moses. These narratives teach us that even in the face of temptation, weakness, and sin, God’s love and patience with us can lead to redemption, growth, and the fulfillment of His will for us.
“God’s patience is meant to lead us to repentance, just as His ‘immense patience’ led the Apostle Paul to salvation.” (biblestudytools.com)
How to Begin a Relationship with Jesus
“First, you are saved through a personal faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ as defined in the Scriptures. The Gospel refers to the news of Christ’s death and resurrection in order to pay the penalty for our sins and provide a way to eternal life.
Faith is rationally impossible where there is nothing to believe. Faith must have an object. The object of Christian faith is Christ. Faith means more than agreeing with the claims of Christ; faith involves the will- a decision to believe in Christ. If you say with your mind and your heart, “Yes, I believe in Christ and receive what He has done for me”- that He died for my sins- then you will have eternal life. Faith, then, means surrender and commitment to the claims of Christ.” (excerpt from a Billy Graham message) Learn more here: https://goingfarther.net/basics-of-christianity/
If you’ve never put your faith in Jesus, we hope you’ll check out these resources and take that first step. And if you are a believer who has found yourself playing in a puddle, we pray this blog has made you see that God is right there next to you, waiting for you to turn back to Him. He loves you and has never left you.