A man was watering his lawn one afternoon and noticed his neighbor’s little boy riding his bicycle around the block over and over again. Curious, the next time the boy came around, he asked him: “Jimmy, what are you doing?” When the boy replied that he was running away from home, the man said, “But you’re just going around the block!” To that, the little boy responded, “Well, that’s because my mom won’t let me cross the street.”
That illustration reminded me of the day when many of Jesus’ disciples left Him. The day before, he had miraculously fed a multitude using a boy’s lunch of five barley loaves of bread and two small fish for starters. Remembering that delicious lunch, a large group of people followed Him to the other side of the sea of Galilee hoping He would feed them again. This time, however, Jesus decided to feed them spiritually telling them that He was the Bread of Heaven who could give them life. That group did not like the response so they walked away from Him on that day. John 6:66-67 reads: “From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” In response to this question, Peter said: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”
Just like Peter, and just like the little boy in our illustration, many of us have, at one time or another, contemplated “running away from home.” Soon after, we realize there is nothing in our life before Christ that is worthy of our return. Oh, there are some who will get angry with God or find some other reason to walk away. That is common. What is not common, however, is for God’s true children to walk away from Him and not come back. Therefore, don’t think, if you’ve ever been angry, upset, confused, or disillusioned enough to contemplate giving up in your walk with Christ, that you’re the only Christian who has ever felt that way. In fact, if you’re feeling that way right now, I’m sure you will soon say, just like Peter: “Lord. To whom can I go? You have the words of eternal life.”
God’s promise for today: (Psalm 139:8) “If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.”
