Thought for the Week

A friend made a comment recently which was indeed food for thought.

Ruth said: ‘Isn’t it just as well God doesn’t want to send us back?’

I puzzled for a moment and then realised what truth there was in that statement.

Often we buy something and later think to ourselves: ‘Why on earth did I buy that – it’s awful! I hope I’ve kept the receipt so that I can return it’.

Often we only have 28 days in which to exchange our purchase or get our money back.

We rummage about in bags and bins to find our receipt – our get out option.

Maybe we want to return this item because it just doesn’t live up to expectation.

Maybe it’s flawed and we didn’t notice when we bought it.

Maybe we could get something nicer, something a bit more perfect.

Maybe we should just send it back because we’re really disappointed with our purchase.

Well, it’s just as well God doesn’t think of us that way.

God regards us all as the pearl beyond price, the ones for whom his son lived and loved and died.

We are far from perfect, we are often disappointing, we frequently don’t live up to expectation, we have many flaws - yet God still pours out his love on us.

God has invested everything in us and will never give up on us, never want to return us, never look for that heavenly refund.

We are indeed bought at a price – the price of unconditional, unfailing, everlasting love.

God looks at each one of us and with the most tender love confirms that we are his forever. He has thrown away the receipt and has no regrets.