Think of that guy that lives around the corner, the one with the old sports car he continually works on, even though it would be cheaper to buy a new one. He polishes the fenders, changes the oil, and when it sputters to a stop at a red light, he climbs out with a wrench in hand, happy once again to be under the hood.
Why does he keep that old car? Is it the comfort of the fifty-year-old seats? Perhaps it’s the dependability, the assurance that it will start every time he gets behind the wheel. Or, maybe it’s the up-to-date handling that he can’t give up.
No, it's none of these. That car can cost him a fortune, break down on a regular basis, and have suspension so weak he gets seasick, and still, he hangs on to it. Why? He loves it, no matter how much trouble it gives him.
God feels that way about us. In Romans 2:4, Paul tells us we disregard God’s kindness as we toss his love aside, and still, he waits patiently for us to change, for he desires nothing more than to draw us to him.
God wants to change our hearts and lives, and there is no end to how long he will call us. He never gives up on us.
Romans 11:29 tells us that when God calls us, he never decides he is no longer interested. When he gives us things, he doesn’t snatch them away again, just because we don’t jump through some arbitrary hoop. We can’t even cast off his call. It is ours forever.
Take the Jewish nation. They are still God’s chosen people. He has not disowned them. He has simply given them over to their sinful desires so that he can show them mercy.
In this same way, in Romans 11:32, we learn that God has found everyone guilty of disobedience. Yet, he still loves us, and he desires nothing more than to have mercy on us.
The parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-24 reveals that inner level of God’s heart more than any other passage in the Bible. He patiently waits on us, and when we come to him, he welcomes us with open arms, giving us the keys to his kingdom. We do not have to clean ourselves up. We simply leave our old lives, turn toward home, and trust in the Father’s mercy.
As well-loved as that old sports car might be, it’s a fact that it will continually need maintenance. If we can see that, how much more can the heavenly Father understand that his creation will need to be continually called back to him?
1 John 1:9 tells us the Father calls us to repent, and he offers us forgiveness when we turn from our self-centered ways and move toward him.
Thank God he never gives up on us.
No matter how many times we fail God, he will continue to call us to repentance.
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Code: C.4.13h.vp