Separated from the children He loves.

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When we are separated from those we love, we grieve.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
John 3:16 New American Standard Bible

Not long after the death of my husband, I was driving down a long straight road and crying out to God. It was not fair; he was a good man, loved by me and his children. At one point I said, “Father, I know you have also felt the pain of loss. I know you were separated from your Son. But that was only for three days. I will be without my husband for years!” The answer came to my mind instantly, “Yes that was only three days. But I have been separated from all of my children, and some of them will never return to me. I will be separated from them for the rest of eternity.” God’s heart is broken.

The intensity of God’s love for us, not just for Jesus, is something I had not truly realized until that moment. It is the whole reason He sent Jesus here. It is why He allowed Himself to fully turn away from His Son. He longs for each of us to turn to Him, to dwell with Him forever. This desire is not some secondary thought; it is a deep longing filled with grief for the lost. Second Peter 3:9 reminds us that God does not wish for any to perish.

He has come, He is with us, He is coming again. He sacrificed His own Son so that all of His children could come to Him. If we understood the depth of His longing for all of His children to come home we would not hesitate to help lead them back to Him. We would share the good news proclaimed in the verse above and demonstrate the depth of His love for everyone. Every trial and every sacrifice we make for this purpose becomes like nothing compared to the joy of reuniting a grieving Father with His children.

Text Copyright Richelle Hecker
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