Come Home

Barnegat Lighthouse in Barnegat Light, Long Beach Island, New Jersey Wiki Commons, 

Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of hosts is his name: (Jeremiah 31:35 KJV)

It is up to men, however, to build the lighthouses to bring sailors safely to shore, and they have built some beautiful ones.  While they are not sitting on hills, their light cannot be hidden.

A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. (Matthew 5:14b KJV)

Let’s spend more time with the first part of that verse:

Ye are the light of the world.

When we state openly that we are followers of Jesus, what we do can never be hidden.  Non-believers are looking at at us to validate their own beliefs.  If we err, they point and call us hypocrites because we do not live what we say we believe.  They look into our lives more deeply than we do, not to make us better but to make their choices appear better.

The only ‘better’ choice we made was to come home.  We are the prodigals, given the beauty of this earth by its creator, taking our inheritance and ignoring Him for a long time.  We recognized what we’re missing and we’ve come home to the father who is looking for us  with compassion.

And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.  (Luke 15:20 KJV)

When we’ve witnessed to others, shared with them how we found the light of the world, how do we treat them when they, too, come home? Or are we as the prodigal’s brother:

And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him. (Luke 15:28 KJV)

You see, both brothers erred.  Both were met outside of their home by the father and welcomed back into the home.  He loved them both, just as our Father does.

Which child are you – both need to hear the Father and come home.

Oh! for the wonderful love He has promised,

Promised for you and for me,

Tho' we have sinned He has mercy and pardon,

Pardon for you and for me.

Come home, come home,

Ye who are weary come home;

Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,

Calling O sinner come home.