Main Idea: God is not chasing us because He is mad at us, He is chasing us because He wants to give us eternal life.
Key Verse: “But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9 NIV).
Illustration: Once there was a shop owner. He had a big problem with rats in his store. One day he decided to put out a bag of corn mixed with poison in order to kill the rats. As he was helping a customer, he saw out of the corner of his eye a young boy sneak into his store. The boy grabbed the bag of poison corn and ran away.
The shop keeper yelled at the boy, “Come back!”
The boy ran faster. The shop keeper dropped everything to chase the boy. They ran through the marketplace. The boy was leaping over carts and dodging people. The shop keeper ran as fast as he could yelling, “Stop that boy!”
After a long chase, finally the shop keeper grabbed the boy by the back of his shirt. He asked, “Why are you running away so fast?”
The boy said, “I’m scared that you will punish me for stealing your bag of corn.”
The shop keeper explained, “I was not chasing you to punish you for stealing. I am chasing you to save your life. The corn you stole is mixed with deadly poison. If you eat it you will die. I don’t want you to die. I want you to live.”
God is not chasing you because He is mad it you for your sin. God is chasing you because He wants to give you eternal life.
