When I first acquired an adorable puppy named Dolly, she filled my days with frequent trips to my backyard.  Then she began using these occasions to explore places I didn't want her to go.  By offering her a reward, I was able to teach her to respond to my command, "Come!"  But eventually, the rewards weren't enough to get her to come back to me.  So I bought a leash on a reel that gives Dolly a safe amount of freedom, but gives me the option of "reeling her in" when she ventures too far.

This reminds me of God's dealings with a drug-addicted man named Derek. Longing to break his addiction, he stayed in our home, where he became God's child. He overcame his habit but he still battled with temptation. One day he gave in, ran away, and used some drugs. Then guilt overwhelmed him as he sat despondently on a park bench. He felt like the psalmist David (Psalm 31:22) and said to himself, "I'm cut off from the Lord. I'm finished." But the long leash of God's love tugged on his heart. Immediately, Derek asked for the Lord's forgiveness and made his way back to us (32:3-5).

If you're going the wrong way and feel cut off from God, remember, you can return. Respond to the tug of His forgiving love on your heart and come back to Him today.  — Joanie Yoder