THE other day I heard of a young officer in Kitchener’s Army who, owing to recent illness, had a few days’ leave. Well, the few days turned into a few hours only, for scarcely had he arrived than a wire came, “Return at once.” Now this set me thinking of that merciful Bible word, “Return.” Dear soldier, I have looked out this word addressed in the Word of God to so many classes of people, and I beg you to think about it too. I write four examples: ―
1. “Let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him” (Isaiah 55:7). It may be you thought about God when you were younger, and in the Sunday, School learned to love Him, but as days went on you forgot. So He says, “Return unto the Lord.” Now, do not wait. Return at once.
2. In Jeremiah 3:22, it says, “Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings.” See how gracious God is, if you only return. He will at once abundantly pardon. So do, do “return at once.”
3. In Hosea 14:1, it says, “Return unto the Lord thy God, for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. Take with you words and turn (return) to the Lord.” Yes, all God wants is for us to acknowledge our sin, and He will at once forgive. He will not keep you waiting if you “return at once.”
4. Job says, in chapter 22:23, “If thou return to the Almighty thou shalt be built up, thou shalt delight in the Almighty, and lift up thy face unto God.” As it says in Psalms 37:4, “Delight thyself in the Lord, and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” Is it not worthwhile, then, to “return to the Lord”? So “return at once.” “Come unto Me,” the Lord Jesus says.
Lastly, there is to be that one longed-for blessed return of our Lord, when all the soldiers of our Lord and King will hear the shout, the voice of the archangel, with the trump of God, saying, as it were, “Return at once.” Then, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, we shall be caught up, with the risen dead in Christ, to meet the Lord in the air, to be “forever with the Lord.” Surely we ought to look up with joy and say, “Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly,” and summon us!
Emily P. Leakey