Do you ever feel that you have rebelled or strayed so far that God wouldn’t want to restore you?  Like you are somehow unworthy?  I have been there!!

I love sharing stories of my father.  He was truly one of the best people I have ever known and I was blessed to have him, even for a short time.  He passed when I was only 21.

One of the things I remember most vividly about my father from childhood was him tucking me in to bed each night.  He always did this task himself and that was by choice.  He would read me a story and then tuck me in nice and tight into my bed. He would kiss me on the forehead and tell me goodnight.

Then, as he turned off the light and began to close the door, I would say “Daddy, I’m thirsty. Can I have a glass of water?”   He would then go to the kitchen to get me a glass.

While he was gone, I would get out of my bed, a bed he so carefully tucked me into, and I would go to my closet, step inside and shut the door.  My dad would come back into the room with the water and then say “Where is Diane??” and proceed to search EVERYWHERE in my little room!  I would be giggling from inside my hiding place…which I am sure he heard.  But he pretended to not know where I was.   He would pretend to cry because he couldn’t find me.

Finally, I would jump out of the closet and say “Here I am Daddy!” and he would hug me and say “Oh I was so worried…I couldn’t find you” and then repeat the whole “tucking in” process again.

The funny thing about this story…

It happened EVERY night.

He would go through this with me every single night.  Every night he would pretend to not know where I was and search for me…even though he knew my hiding spot.  It didn’t matter how tired he was or if I had been a challenging child that day.  He did it no matter what!

My father was the first picture I ever had in mind of what God is like.

My dad was patient, kind, loving, long-suffering, always willing to take the time to teach.  He cherished every moment with me….even when it meant tucking a child into bed EACH night SO carefully..knowing they were just going to get out of bed.  He never faltered in how lovingly he tucked me in regardless of knowing I would mess up everything he just did.

And I see God in this example!

He never skimps on how greatly He loves us and cares for us, even when He knows we will mess up.  He never stops chasing us no matter how many times we hide from Him.  He will always search us out time after time after time.  He will always bring us back, if we allow Him, and restore us…much the same way my Dad always “found” me (even though I was never REALLY lost) and placed me lovingly back in the safety of my bed.

He IS our loving father!

Even if you did not have a physical father who was loving.  Even if your father was barely there.  Or maybe you didn’t know your father at all.  Rest assured, God loves you and cares for you and will never leave you nor forsake you!  He WILL always search you out!!

We can never go so far or hide so well that God cannot find us.  And sometimes we may not want to be found!  Sometimes we are in rebellion and feel shame!  We feel we have FINALLY gone SO far that even God cannot restore us.

But God is able!  He is not only able, He longs for your restoration!!

He lovingly searches us out…calling to us the way my dad called to me…and when we are ready to be found He sweeps us up in His loving arms and restores us to our place.

“How think ye? if a man has an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?”  Matthew 18:12 KJV

In this verse the sheep went astray!  This was not a sheep that conformed or went with the shepherd.  It ran off and did its own thing.  But yet He leaves the ninety nine in search of that one.

And He will do no less for you.

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