I’m going to tell you a true story, boys and girls. Many years ago, when I was still living at home but after I finished high school, I took my little sister to the store with me. She was about 4 years old or so at the time. I took her in the stroller and we were shopping at the women’s clothes department. I got distracted with my shopping, and in just a second or two, when I looked back at the stroller, she was gone. I looked around quickly, but I couldn’t find her. I found a clerk and she had her name paged on the overhead announcement, but we still didn’t find her. Another clerk appeared and she had someone to check the restrooms and to lock the outside doors to the store. By now, I was really getting worried. What if I had lost my little sister? About that time, a clerk found my little sister, hiding in the clothes rack. I was so happy to see her. We hugged and I told her how happy I was to find her. She later told me that she had first hidden in the clothes rack for fun, but then she got scared that I would be angry with her for hiding, so she stayed in the clothes rack, even though she knew she should have come out.

Sometimes we act like this, boys and girls, with God. We wander away from God by not going to Sunday services, or not reading our Bible or not praying, or we do things we know will not please God. Then, we get it in our heads that God is angry with us and doesn’t love us anymore. But that is a lie. God always receives us back and wants to spend time with us. Nothing we have done or will do is big enough to cause God to stop loving us. He loves you despite everything bad that you ever have done.

Let’s pray: Heavenly Father, help us to remember that when we don’t feel your presence, we need to make sure we haven’t moved away from you. Help us remember that nothing can separate us from you and your love for us. Amen.