The boss of a big company needed to call one of his employees about an urgent problem with one of the main computers. He dialed the employee’s home telephone number and was greeted with a child’s voice, “Hello?” It was a quiet little voice. Feeling put out at the inconvenience of having to talk to a youngster, the boss asked, “Is your Daddy home?” “Yes,” said the small voice. “May I talk with him?” the man asked. To the surprise of the boss, he replied, “No.” Wanting to talk with an adult, the boss asked, “Is your Mommy there?” “Yes,” came the answer. “May I talk with her?” Again, the little voice said, “No.” Knowing that it was not likely that a young child would be left home alone, the boss decided he would just leave a message with the person who should be there watching over the child. “Is there anyone there besides you?” the boss asked the child. “Yes,” said the child, “a policeman.” Wondering what a cop would be doing at his employee’s home, the boss asked, “May I speak with the policeman?” “No, he is busy,” said the child. “Busy doing what?” asked the boss. “Talking to Daddy and Mommy and the Fireman,” came the answer. Growing concerned and even worried as he heard what sounded like a helicopter through the ear piece on the phone, the boss asked, “What is that noise?” “A hello-copper,” answered the tiny voice. “What is going on there?” asked the boss, now alarmed. In an awed voice, the child answered, “They just landed the hello-copper” Alarmed, concerned and more than just a little frustrated, the boss asked, “Why are they there?” Still whispering, the young voice replied (along with a muffled giggle), “They are looking for me.”
Is it possible to sin to such a degree that God will not forgive? Is it possible to go so far beyond the reach of God that we can never return to Him? Is it possible for us to stray and wander to the point that God quits looking for us? Can we come to the point where God gives up on us? Even though you attend church and even though you seldom miss, you may secretly wonder deep down whether or not you have done something that has caused God to give up on you. If not, chances are high you live with someone or work with someone or know someone who feels that way.
For the last two weeks I’ve been posting about hope and how to find hope when we come to the end of our rope and when we come to the end of our strength. This week I want to share about how we can find hope when we come to the end of ourselves, and there’s no better passage for us to study together than the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15.
