"Returns"

 

“Returns”

 

I paid my seminary expenses by working as a warehouseman for Sears, which at the time was the world’s largest retailer. The company had a very generous return policy—basically they took any undamaged item back for credit or a refund, a practice that was abused by many customers. For example, I lost count of dining room sets returned after Thanksgiving and Christmas and TV’s after New Years’ Day Bowl Games for reasons such as, “We didn’t like it!” My all-time favorite rationale for sending a purchase back was a furniture order with the explanation, “Wife didn’t have authorization to buy!” (I’d like to have been a fly on the wall during that family “discussion”—maybe a battle for control.) A Florida friend who owned several retail home furnishings franchises told me his procedure for returned purchases was similar to that of Sears with the observation, “You always try to make the customer happy!”

Our Sunday School class recently finished a study of Hosea, a prophetic book dealing with Israel’s sin and its consequences. The Lord’s servant concludes with a challenge and message of hope: “Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God. Your sins have been your downfall…Who is wise? (Let them) realize these things. Who is discerning? (Let them) understand them. The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.” (Hosea 14:1,9, emphasis added). Both the Hebrew word (which is used more than 1000 times in the Old Testament) and its Greek equivalent in the New Testament mean turn back, go in the opposite direction or the military term about face. A close synonym is repent, which literally means think differently in Greek. Jesus (Mark 1:15), John the Baptist (Matthew 3:2) and Peter (Acts 3:19) all called for it in the lives of their hearers--and God still does today (“…he commands all people everywhere to repent.”—Acts 17:30).

Perhaps the most familiar returnee in Scripture is the rebellious young man in Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32). When he hit bottom he made the decision to return home, not knowing how he’d be received. But his father (representing God) welcomed him with open heart and arms and restored him to the family. When wanderers see their need to place God back into His rightful place in their lives He receives them gladly (“…Whoever comes to me I will never drive away.”—John 6:37, emphasis added).

Maybe you’re praying for a child, grandchild or someone else to return to God. In his helpful book, Good News About Prodigals, Tim Bisset cites research that most of them return to their faith and families. So don’t give up! “…Pray continually….” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) for God’s work to be done to His glory.

 

Grace and Blessings!

Jim McMillan