“Return to me and I will return to you says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.”

Zechariah 1:3

I’ve been practicing a song to sing at church sometime titled “Take Me Back” (Meredith Andrews). Many times over the past month or two, I catch myself singing pieces of it at random moments, usually the opening verse which goes like this:

Take me back to
The day I met you
When my dead heart
Came alive
I was running
You came chasing
You couldn’t wait to
Take me back
The chorus comes in then, like this:
I’ll sing
Of a grace that’s still amazing
I’ll dance
Like a child before the King
I’ll shout
Like I’ve heard it for the first time
You have come to save the lost and last
And You are the God who always takes me back.

“Take Me Back” – Meredith Andrews

As I sing or hum, I am always reminded of God’s promise in Zechariah 1:3: Return to me, and I will return to you says the Lord of Heaven’s armies. At the time of Zechariah, God’s people had neglected their relationship with God, stopped seeking Him, stopped following His teachings. As a result of their wandering, their lives were a hot mess and a great many were suffering. God spoke to the prophet Zechariah reminding him of the covenant He had made which the people had broken; if they would return to Him, He would return to them and things would be right again.

Sweet friends, as I reflect on the book of Zechariah, I must ask myself, “How many times have I wandered away from the Lord? Neglected our relationship? Declined to follow His teachings? How many of the hot messes I have found myself in could have been avoided if I or others had been walking more closely with the Lord at the time?”.

Whew. Those are toe stomping questions. Thinking on them, I instantly have times come to mind in which the mess I found myself was a direct result of neglecting prayer or study or deciding to do “my own thing” instead of what God instructs.

Beloved One, maybe you’re in one of those hot messes right now, or maybe you’re still wrestling with God over a hot mess that occurred some time ago. The Bible is very clear that God is always with those who believe on His name and so He’s never left you, not even in the midst of the hottest mess, but God is also very clear that we’ll miss His goodness if we’re not seeking Him first and especially if we’re harboring sin in our hearts (2 Chronicles 7:14, Isaiah 59:2). Dear heart, sin is anything that God tells us not to do, anything that goes against His heart and His will. We must remember that God defines sin and not man, and so often times what society would say is acceptable, our holy and perfect God calls sin. Though we do not like to think so, most often when we feel like God has “left” us on our own, it’s because sin in our life has made a barrier over our ears and our eyes and we cannot hear or see Him or do not want to because we don’t like what He has to say.

Ouch. But am I right, or am I right?

Blessedly my friends, God is always quick to take us back. We hold grudges, but God does not. Though we are the ones who wander away, He promises in Zechariah 1:3 to take us back the second we return to Him. Because He is always with us (Matthew 28:20), no matter how far we stray, no matter how long we go without talking to Him, we only have to turn around, to stop going our way and turn toward His way, to return to Him.

As I thank God for His mercy and grace, for His faithfulness even when we are unfaithful, I rejoice and delight in Him and I reminded of the closing verse of me “Take Me Back”:

Take me home to
A place I’ll know soon
Where sin and sorrow
Cannot go
Where all Your family
Is forever standing
In the glory of the God who takes us back!

“Take Me Back” – Meredith Andrews

Praise God for He is mighty and merciful to save us not only in the here and now, but forevermore! He has promised to be with us always and even when we walk – or run – away, even we try to hide, He returns to us as soon as we return to Him! Glory be to the God who always takes us back! Who has a prepared a place for us where sin cannot go so that when that time comes and we are called home, we will never be tempted to wander again! We will forever stand in the glory of the God who takes us back!