4. come

story

"Come! Come, Kobe come. This way.... "

Come...

It’s probably the most frequent word I say out aloud right now. I’ve been training my dog Kobe and letting him off leash around the local streets in my neighborhood. I first started around the smaller streets, and each day I cross larger intersections.

Sometimes, he strays a bit and gets distracted sniffing out different smells, and when this happens, I say “come” a lot more times.

As I’ve been saying “come”, I’ve realised a few things as it relates to my relationship with Christ.

•⁠ ⁠When I say come, I’m asking Kobe to come to a safe place, a better place than where he is right now, because I am a pawparent who loves him. When God says come, he’s already been there and because he is a good father, he always wants the best for us. He always leads us to our good and doesn’t lead us to a path of destruction. He is a good shepherd, who always takes care of his flock.

•⁠ ⁠The further Kobe is away from me, the more I say come. However, sometimes he is so distracted that he doesn’t hear me (or perhaps he chooses to selectively ignore me!!)

•⁠ ⁠There’s an element of trust I have with Kobe, which grows or wanes depending on his behavior. If I find that he is increasingly ignoring me when I ask him to come, or if I think he might not be at the level of obedience where there’s a chance he could be in danger when I ask him to come (i.e. crossing a heavy traffic intersection), I put him back on leash. This realization caused me to be in awe of the nature of God, in particular that he allows us to choose. He created us with free will to choose whether we want to respond to his invitation to come. That simply blows my mind, because I know how sinful I am and prone to doing my own thing and living my own life. I have caused him so much pain and hurt when I’ve willfully walked my own path, ignoring the way of his goodness, stubbornly thinking my way is better than his.

devotional

There are many instances in the Bible where Jesus invites us to come. Throughout the gospels, Jesus meets and gathers disciples with an invitational tone. In John 1:39, Jesus invites his first two disciples to come and see. Over the next 18 months, he invited people to come and see and follow him (Matthew 4:19). Jesus also asks his disciples to come and do what he did—to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick (Luke 9:1-2). He ends with the great commission in Matthew 28:19-20 where he sends his disciples and us out into all the world to make disciples.

All throughout Scripture, Jesus doesn't force people to follow his agenda, cause, or mission... but instead invites them to come. "Come, try it out." Taste and see that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8).

I wonder whether we sometimes miss what he's wanting us to see, hear, or do because he speaks with such gentleness. A practice I have found useful is to start my day in silence, clearing the things in my heart and mind, and disciplining myself to be still before him. I find that when I make space to be with God, I am able to hear his voice clearly. I'm still very much on a learning journey with this practice, and over the last few years, I've also been journaling what I feel he's been speaking to me about.

Why don't you take a moment now to pause and close your eyes and take a few deep breaths to settle your heart and mind. Ask God right now if there's a "come" He would like you to respond to. Perhaps it's to come and see something that you missed in the busyness of your day. Or he might be asking you to come and follow him. Perhaps there's something along the way of following Christ that has distracted you and diverted you off course. Maybe it's a call to come and do what he did. Or perhaps it's simply to be still and be with him.

quote

come away with me
let me care for you
shower my love on you
my thoughts are with you
i long to be with you

come away with me
let me refresh you
soak in my presence
let me wash away your worries
show you the things that truly matter

come away with me
let go and fall
in the safety of my arms
let me embrace you and hold you tight
i understand all you are going through

come away with me
lean on me
i will hold you steady
there is nothing to fear
i am always by your side

​
come away with me
find peace in me
let me comfort you
for i know you intimately
i will never leave nor forsake you

come away with me
rest and know that
with every breath you take
the depth and width
of my love for you grows

​
come away with me
there is no time wasted
spent in my presence
my dear child
there is nothing i won’t do for you

~ me! (it's actually the first poem I wrote)

question

Is there something, or someone, or some situation that is distracting you right now and might be hindering you from responding to God's call to come to Him?

prayer

Thank you God for your invitation to come to you. Thank you that your desire is that you want to be with us. Thank you for being a good father and that you always give the best for us, even though we sometimes might not understand or know it in the present moment.

Sorry for the times I’ve walked my own path and ignored your call to come follow you. I'm sorry for the distractions that have pulled me away from you. Please help me follow you well.

Holy Spirit, will you make me aware of what you’re calling me to come to. And give me the courage and obedience to follow.

Amen

Have a great week.

Love,

p.s. It can be easy during this Christmas season to be busy with lots of social events. I'm praying that during this holiday season, you will respond to God's "come" and spend time with him, remembering the birth of Jesus and his reign.

This morning I was reminded of God's eternal rule as I read this passage. May it bring you hope and remind you of God's plan for all eternity.

Isaiah 9:6-7

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this.