“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” -Luke 15:20
It was during Sunday night youth worship, many years ago, that I first heard Benny Hester’s song, When God Ran. The song begins with a listing of several names for God; The Great I Am, Victorious Warrior, King of Kings. These were all names for an awesome God that was and is beyond my ability to comprehend. At the same time, this song was personal, intimate, and brought great joy to me as we sang about how awesome God truly is and how awesome it is that this God loves us. To this day, this song reminds me that the Great I Am is with us, and has gone to great lengths to keep us close.
The words of this song are a reflection on the parable of the Prodigal Son. (Luke 15:11-32) They are a beautiful take on the love and mercy of God. God welcomes us home, no matter how far we stray. God comes to us; God runs to us. Here is the opening verse of this song:
Almighty God, The Great I Am,
Immovable Rock, Omnipotent, Powerful,
Awesome Lord.
Victorious Warrior, Commanding King of Kings,
Mighty Conqueror and the only time,
The only time I ever saw him run,
Was when…
He ran to me,
He took me in His arms,
Held my head to His chest,
Said “My son’s come home again!”
Lifted my face,
Wiped the tears from my eyes,
With forgiveness in His voice, He said
“Son, do you know I still love You?”
As a youth, and even more so as an adult, I am amazed and comforted by the thought that the Ancient of Days, would come to me in such a way. It is not God’s intention that we should live our lives separated from Him, but that we should seek after him. God desires an intimate relationship with us. Yes, our God is a mighty and marvelous God, but He is not so distant that we cannot draw close to Him. God is love and love draws us close to God and one another. What a gift to know that we can run to God, and He will run to us.
– Rev. Keith King, Pastor of Worship
