A Love That Reached Through the Darkness
A Fictional Narrative
“And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him” (Luke 15:20).
Mark had grown up in church. He went forward in answer to an altar call at the age of seven. He attended Sunday Bible classes and memorized many scriptures. By the time he was in high school, Mark had seriously considered going into the ministry. All seemed to be going well for Mark. He was successful in all he attempted and received good grades in school. He assisted the pastor of his local church looking ahead to his going into the pastorate himself. The Lord was blessing Mark and all those around him saw him as an example of what the Christian life should be.
Mark attended a Christian college after high school and maintained excellent grades. His focus was on pastoral study. He felt the Lord was calling him to pastor a church. In his senior year, Mark had a crisis of faith. During his years at college, some of his professors had been liberal and had shared their beliefs in their classes. Their influence had taken its toll on Mark. He was also exposed to many classes on Psychology. The college believed that psychology could be used in the church to help people overcome their “problems.” By the time he graduated, Mark’s faith had been shaken, and he was unsure of what he wanted to do with his future.
Mark took a secular job while he assessed his future and how he should move forward. He was no longer sure of the Lord’s calling on his life and questioned whether the Bible was the guide he had believed it was in his younger years. The teachings he had received from the liberal professors in college made him question his very faith and question the inerrancy of the Bible. He continued employment in his secular job and before he realized it, ten years had passed. He had married during that time and started a family.
One day after work, as was his custom, he stopped at a local pub with friends. As he entered the bar a song was playing over the sound system. It was a secular drinking song. When he heard the title line from the song he just started repeating the words over and over. The title line was “Show me the way to go home.” Tears welled up in his eyes as he considered how far he had drifted from the Lord. How had this happened? How had he walked away from the Lord who loved him and had called him to work in the Kingdom as a pastor. He realized that he had bought into the lie. The enemies of the Cross had successfully sowed their liberal seed and it had taken root and produced a harvest in his life.
Mark went home that night and prayed with his wife. He repented of all the false doctrine and all the doubts he had been believing regarding the faith. He realized that Christ was the way to all the truth. He realized that allowing doubt to enter his heart resulted in a darkness of soul and a falling away from the truth.
Mark rededicated his life to the Lord and answered the call the Lord had on His life. Today he pastors a small but thriving church. He is a stalwart for the faith and preaches the Bible in its fullness. He realized that he lost his way when he took his eyes off of our Savior and listened to those who do not believe the Word of God. He now knows that victory comes from making Christ and Him Crucified the object of our faith which allows the Holy Spirit to work mightily in our lives. He came to understand why the Psychology he was exposed to in college has no place in the church. Our victory over the world, the flesh, and the Devil is found only in Christ and His great work at Calvary. He has found his way home and he thanks the Lord each day for leading him out of the darkness and back to faith in the One that loves him and proved that love on a Cross at Calvary.
Our opening verse shows the father’s love for the prodigal son who had returned to a father who loved him, and who eagerly watched for him to return, and ran, to embrace him. Our Heavenly Father does the same for all those who have lost their way and seek to return to His loving care. What a wonderful Lord we have!
“Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness, I have drawn thee” ( Jeremiah 31:3).
Always Remember,
God Loves You!
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