It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.” – Luke 15:32
I grew up going to Sunday night youth at my church. It was a special time when the youth of the church would gather to play games, have Bible study, and worship together. Many of the things I learned during Sunday night youth shaped and molded my faith.
It was during Sunday night youth worship 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 is beyond my ability to comprehend. At the same time, this song reminds the person listening that the great and mighty I Am is intimate enough to be close to us all.
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 young student, I remember being mesmerized that the God who we worshiped in the massive sanctuary, the God who created the universe, was also a God who wanted to be close to us.
Drawing from the imagery of the Prodigal Son story from Luke 15:11-32, Benny Hester’s song taught me that God wants me to run to Him and God is most willing to run to me. 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. What a gift to know that we can run to God, and He will run to us.
– Rev. Keith King, Pastor of Worship
