October 2: Far Away From God

 

Far Away From God

Key Text

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

Have you ever felt as though you have wandered far away from God?

Sometimes I have felt so far from Him that I struggled to feel His presence. I know that God is there, yet there are moments when He seems distant. Sometimes it is because of choices I have made. At other times, the pressures, disappointments and distractions of life have caused me to drift without even realising how far I have wandered.

The hymn “Far Away From God” speaks to those moments. Its message is a simple but powerful invitation to the wandering heart: come home.

It reminds me of the prodigal son.

Jesus tells the story of a young man who chose to leave his father's home. He took his inheritance and travelled into a far country. There, he wasted what he had until eventually he found himself with nothing. Hungry, broken and desperate, he finally came to himself.

Then he remembered home.

He remembered his father.

But returning home was not easy.

He knew what he had done. He knew how far he had wandered. He knew that he had wasted what his father had given him. Perhaps with every step towards home he wondered, “Will my father receive me? After everything I have done, can I really go back?”

What he did not understand was that while he was thinking about returning to his father, his father was already looking for him.

Scripture says:

“But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion.”

I love those words, “a great way off.”

The son had not yet reached the house.

He had not yet explained himself.

He had not yet proven that he had changed.

But his father saw him.

His father recognised him.

And his father ran towards him.

What the son expected was judgement. What he encountered was compassion.

What he expected was rejection. What he received was restoration.

What he expected was perhaps a place among the servants. Instead, his father restored him as a son.

There was a robe. There was a ring. There was a feast. There was celebration because the child who had wandered away had finally come home.

What a beautiful picture of the heart of God.

Sometimes when we wander from God, shame convinces us to remain where we are. We think we have gone too far. We wonder what God will say if we return. We tell ourselves that we need to fix our lives first and then come back to Him.

But God is saying, “Come home.”

Come with your failures.

Come with your regrets.

Come with your questions.

Come with the pieces of your life that you do not know how to put back together.

Just come home.

And perhaps you have not deliberately walked away from God. You still attend church. You still pray. You still know the Scriptures. Yet somewhere along the journey, your heart has become distant. The relationship you once enjoyed with God does not feel the same.

His invitation is still the same.

Come home.

The story of the prodigal son teaches me that the distance between us and God is never greater than His willingness to receive us.

And there is another truth that comforts me. Feeling far from God does not mean that God has stopped loving me.Feelings change, but His character does not. His love remains. His mercy remains. His invitation remains.

So today, my prayer is for every one of us who has wandered far away.

May we stop running.

May we release the shame that tells us we cannot return.

May we turn our hearts towards home.

And when we do, may we discover what the prodigal son discovered: the Father has been waiting for us all along.

Reflection Questions

1. Is there an area of my life in which I have gradually wandered away from God?

2. What is preventing me from turning towards my Heavenly Father and accepting His invitation to come home?

Statement

No matter how far I have wandered, I am never beyond the reach of God's grace. My Heavenly Father is waiting with compassion, mercy and love. I only need to turn towards Him and come home.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, sometimes we wander far from You, and sometimes we simply feel far from You. Thank You that Your love does not disappear when we lose our way. Forgive us for the times we have chosen our own path and allowed other things to take Your place in our hearts. Give us the courage to turn around and come home. For every person who feels too ashamed, too broken or too far gone to return, remind them that Your arms are still open. Restore us to fellowship with You and help us to remain close to Your heart. May there be rejoicing as Your wandering children find their way home. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Copyright Notice

Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (KJV), unless otherwise indicated. Brief hymn excerpts are included for devotional reflection. All hymn copyrights remain the property of their respective authors, composers and publishers.