A Warm Welcome
"Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, Return to Me,’ declares the Lord of hosts, ‘that I may return to you,’ says the Lord of hosts."Zechariah 1:3
A writer named David Redding wrote about growing up on a farm in Scotland. As a young boy, he was given a beautiful black puppy he named Teddy. Redding and Teddy were inseparable. When Redding had to go to war, he was unable to return for more than two years. But when he got a half mile from the family farm, he heard Teddy barking. Redding said he just whistled, and Teddy recognized that whistle and came bounding toward him. Redding observed, “If a dog can receive me back after I’ve been away for such a long time, how much more will God welcome and receive me when I return to Him.”
Whether you have wandered off, run off, or gotten so caught up in the agenda of the world that you have gradually drifted away from God, this story is a reminder that you will be welcome when you return to the Father.