Return

Back to Worship!
Terry R. Baughman

“Come, and let us return to the Lord; For He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up” (Hosea 6:1 NKJ).

The writing of the prophets often contain a call to repentance. In times when God’s people had forsaken Him and turned to idols or adopted the practices of pagan nations around them, the voice of the prophet called them to return to the One true God!

The act of repentance is seen as a return to God. When the wayward comes to an awareness of their sin and transgression against the Law of God, the correct response is to return to Him, seek His forgiveness, and find restoration. 

One of the most beautiful stories of all Scripture is that of the lost son, or what is commonly called the prodigal son. The original meaning of prodigal refers to, “spending money or resources freely and recklessly, or being wastefully extravagant.” So well-known and enduring is the story of the prodigal son that now the definition of the term includes, “one who returns after an absence.” 

Jesus told the parable (which could have been a real story), of a son who petitioned his father for an advance on his portion of his inheritance. The father agreed, gave the son his portion, and stood on the lane watching him leave home. After some time of wasteful and excessive partying, the prodigal found himself alone and destitute. At this juncture of life he came to his senses and realized that the servants at his father’s house lived better than he was living. Only then did he take steps to return to the path that took him away, and walk the long road home. 

Though the prodigal intended to ask to become a servant to his father. He did not know that the father had long been watching the lane in hopes that someday he would see his son return. On the day that dream became reality he ran to meet his son with fresh garments and a full heart of love to restore the lost son to his home. 

Many of us have tried the path of our own choosing. Some have even retraced the steps of the prodigal and followed his lead in life, only to come to the same conclusion. When all resources are depleted and hope seems lost, there is still an opportunity for repentance. In the pig-pen experience there is an option to change. It’s no place to live, and the grace of the father is offered to all those who will leave their past, and return to the Father’s house. 

The depth of love the father had for the lost son is seen in his exchange with the older son, the one who had never left home. The father said, “Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found” (Luke 15:31-32 NKJ).

Every worship service is an opportunity for restoration. Every sermon is a call to return to the Father’s house. Every random encounter with someone from the past is a reminder of how far we have gone and the great distance He is willing to travel in order to reach us. 

​Let every prodigal feel the love of the Father as He compels us to return. May the grace of God lead us to repentance and restoration. He is watching and waiting for us to return!


Theme passage:
“Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon” (Isaiah 55:7 NKJ).