The message will not change.
“I call you back, return to me, come back to being the person I created you to be.”
One of my favourite films has to be the Lion King. It tells the story of Simba (Swahili for lion) who is to succeed his father, Mufasa as King of the Pride Lands, however ….
“Dad! Dad! You gotta get up! Come on, we gotta go home!” Simba nudges his head against his father’s face. It drops hard. He leaps up and tugs on his father’s ear. No response. Simba’s eyes widen and he frantically calls for help. Tears flood down his face. Out of the mist comes his Uncle Scar who scolds Simba. “Simba. What have you done?” Scar proceeds to feed Simba shame and doubts. “If it weren’t for you, he’d still be alive. What will your mother think?” Simba’s eyes widen with terror. “What am I gonna do?” Scar hisses in his ear, “Run away, Simba. Run! Run away and never return.” Simba flees and our hearts break at the sadness and injustice of this situation. Simba doesn’t know Scar murdered Mufassa. He doesn’t even know Scar was present during the stampede. He thinks it’s his fault, and his one source of “comfort” only confirms his worst fear: he killed his daddy. And so he runs. Runs far away from Pride Rock. He runs so he won’t have to face his mother and tell her what he did. He runs to forget about the stampede and the death of his father. He runs to escape his problems and responsibilities as the new lion king.
For all kinds of reasons and mistakes, sometimes not our own, we find ourselves away from where we should be. I am not speaking geographically but people run thinking no one can see, for they run away from things that are private, from devotion to God, from enthusiasm for the Church, from energy for worship, they back away from community. And yet even though they think only they know, the truth is eventually everyone knows.
“When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. But the more they were called, the more they went away from me. They sacrificed to the Baals and they burned incense to images.” (Hosea 11 v 1-2)
The more the prophets called them, the more they went from them. (ASV)
It’s not until he meets Rafiki, a wise crazy monkey, that Simba begins to see the light. And then he sees the ghost of his father, who tells him to remember who he is. Simba finally decides to return to Pride Rock, defeat his uncle, and take his rightful place as king.
Return to the place God has called you for. What has been served in this life to you may have led to defeat or disappointment and you may have made wrong choices but those experiences have no hold over you if you can still decide to return.
Promises and hopes may be lost – blessings, ministries, miracles, testimonies that belong to you. You can find them again. Maybe some were fantasy – but some were given by God, you made note of them. Get after them again, pray for them again.
Decide you won’t waste another day. Realise that what you do today has far reaching consequences for your tomorrow. Whatever you pursue today, tomorrow you will find.
I believe everyone can return to the place the enemy of their soul removed them from.
Maybe today you have to return.
A return to trusting God for your situation.
A return to walking with God.
Your starting point may not be a great one. But you need to start somewhere and here now, today. So why not step out towards your new life today? Maybe you need to make some decisions? Maybe you need to surrender your agenda? Moving a step towards God and putting your trust in Him. It’s a start. The start is a prayer away.
Missions Paul 