“Please Let Us Come Home”

Did you at one time serve Jehovah? Have you thought about serving him again but wondered whether he would welcome you back? Please carefully read this article and the one that follows. They were prepared especially with you in mind.

“I PRAYED to Jehovah to please let me come home and to forgive me for hurting him.” So said one woman who had strayed far from her Christian upbringing. Does your heart go out to her? Do you wonder: ‘How does God feel about those who once served him? Does he remember them? Does he want them to “come home”?’ To answer those questions, let us examine words recorded by Jeremiah. The answers will no doubt warm your heart.​—Read Jeremiah 31:18-20.

Consider the setting of Jeremiah’s words. In 740 B.C.E., decades before Jeremiah’s day, Jehovah permitted the ten-tribe kingdom of Israel to be taken captive by the Assyrians.a God allowed this calamity as discipline because his people had taken up sinning in gross ways, ignoring the repeated warnings of his prophets. (2 Kings 17:5-18) Were the people softened by the hardships they experienced in exile, when they were separated from their God and far away from their homeland? Did Jehovah forget all about them? Would he ever welcome them back home?

“I Felt Regret”

The people came to their senses in captivity and were moved to repentance. Their heartfelt contrition did not escape Jehovah’s notice. Listen as Jehovah describes the attitude and feelings of the exiled Israelites, spoken of collectively as Ephraim.

“I have positively heard Ephraim bemoaning himself,” says Jehovah. (Verse 18) He heard the Israelites as they lamented the effects of their sinful course. The phrase “bemoaning himself” can mean “a shaking or rocking motion,” says one scholar. They were like a wayward son ruefully shaking his head as he reflects on the hardships he has brought upon himself and longs for the life he had back home. (Luke 15:11-17) What were the people saying?

“You have corrected me . . . like a calf that has not been trained.” (Verse 18) The people acknowledged that they deserved the discipline. After all, they had been like an untrained calf. This simile may mean that they had been like a bullock that would never have “felt the goad if he had not first rebelled against the yoke,” says one reference work.

“Cause me to turn back, and I shall readily turn back, for you are Jehovah my God.” (Verse 18) Their hearts humbled, the people called out to God. They had been lost in a sinful course, but now they pleaded for help to find their way back into his favor. One translation says: “You are our God​—please let us come home.”​—Contemporary English Version.

“I felt regret. . . . I became ashamed, and I also felt humiliated.” (Verse 19) The people felt sorry because they had sinned. They accepted the blame and admitted their guilt. As if beating their breast, they also felt disgraced and cast down.​—Luke 15:18, 19, 21.

The Israelites were repentant. They were filled with sorrow, confessed their sins to God, and turned back from their bad ways. Would their repentance soften God’s heart? Would he let them come home?

“By All Means I Shall Have Pity Upon Him”

Jehovah had a special attachment to the Israelites. He said: “I have become to Israel a Father; and as for Ephraim, he is my firstborn.” (Jeremiah 31:9) How could a loving father refuse to welcome back a son whose heart is filled with genuine remorse? Notice how Jehovah expresses his Fatherly feelings for his people.

“Is Ephraim a precious son to me, or a fondly treated child? For to the extent of my speaking against him I shall without fail remember him further.” (Verse 20) How tender those words are! Like a firm but loving parent, God had been obliged to speak “against” his children, repeatedly warning them about their sinful ways. When they stubbornly refused to listen, he let them go into exile​—in effect, making them leave home. But even though he had to punish them, he did not forget them. He could never do that. A loving father does not forget his children. How, though, did Jehovah feel when he saw true repentance in his children?

“My intestines have become boisterous for him.b By all means I shall have pity upon him.” (Verse 20) Jehovah felt a strong yearning for his children. Their sincere repentance touched his heart, and he had a deep longing for them to return to him. Like the father in Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son, Jehovah “was moved with pity” and eager to welcome his children back home.​—Luke 15:20.

“Jehovah Let Me Come Home!”

The words at Jeremiah 31:18-20 give us insight into Jehovah’s tender compassion and mercy. God does not forget those who once served him. What if such ones want to return to him? God is “ready to forgive.” (Psalm 86:5) He will never turn away those who come to him with repentant hearts. (Psalm 51:17) On the contrary, he is happy to welcome them home.​—Luke 15:22-24.

The woman mentioned at the outset took the initiative to return to Jehovah and visited a local congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses. At first, she had to overcome her own negative feelings. “I felt so unworthy,” she recalls. But the congregation’s elders offered encouragement and helped her to regain spiritual strength. With a heart full of appreciation, she says, “It is so wonderful that Jehovah let me come home!”

If you once served Jehovah and have thought about serving him again, we invite you to visit the local congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Remember that Jehovah responds with compassion and mercy when repentant ones call out to him, “Please let us come home.”

Suggested Bible reading for April:

◼ Jeremiah 17-31

[Footnotes]

The Bible Changes Lives

WHAT moved a man to return to the religious upbringing from which he had strayed? How did a young man find the father figure he had yearned for his whole life? Read what these people have to say.

“I Needed to Return to Jehovah.”​—ELIE KHALIL

YEAR BORN: 1976

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: CYPRUS

HISTORY: PRODIGAL SON

MY PAST: I was born in Cyprus but grew up in Australia. My parents are Jehovah’s Witnesses, and they did their best to instill in me a love for Jehovah and his Word, the Bible. In my teen years, however, I began to rebel. I would sneak out of the house at night to meet up with other teenagers. We stole cars and got into a lot of other trouble.

At first, I did those things secretly for fear of displeasing my parents. But I gradually lost that fear. I formed friendships with people much older than I who did not love Jehovah, and they had a negative influence on me. Finally, I told my parents that I no longer wished to have anything to do with their faith. They patiently tried to help me, but I rejected all their efforts. My parents were heartbroken.

After moving away from home, I began to experiment with drugs, even growing and selling large amounts of marijuana. I lived an immoral life and spent a lot of time partying in the club scene. I also developed a quick temper. If someone said or did something that I didn’t like, I would swell with anger, often shouting at people and hitting them. Basically, I did everything that I had been taught not to do as a Christian.

HOW THE BIBLE CHANGED MY LIFE: I became close friends with a fellow drug user who had lost his father at a young age. We often stayed up talking late into the night. On some of those nights, he opened up and talked about how much he missed his father. Having grown up knowing about the hope of a resurrection, I soon found myself telling him about Jesus​—that he raised the dead and that he promises to do so again in the future. (John 5:28, 29) “Imagine seeing your father again,” I would say. “All of us could live forever in Paradise on earth.” Those thoughts touched my friend’s heart.

At other times, my friend brought up such subjects as the last days or the Trinity doctrine. I would grab his Bible and show him various scriptures that revealed the truth about Jehovah God, Jesus, and the last days. (John 14:28; 2 Timothy 3:1-5) The more I spoke about Jehovah to my friend, the more I found myself thinking about Jehovah.

Slowly but surely, the seeds of Bible truth that were dormant in my heart​—seeds that my parents had tried hard to plant—​began to grow. For example, sometimes when I was at a party taking drugs with my friends, I would suddenly start thinking about Jehovah. Many of my friends claimed to love God, but their conduct said otherwise. Not wanting to be like that, I realized what I needed to do. I needed to return to Jehovah.

Of course, knowing what to do and actually doing it are two different things. Some changes were easy to make; I quit taking drugs without much difficulty. I also broke off my old friendships, and I began to study the Bible with a Christian elder.

Other changes, however, were much harder. It was especially difficult to control my anger. Sometimes I would do well for a while and then suffer a relapse. I felt bad afterward, thinking that I was a failure. Discouraged, I approached the elder who was studying the Bible with me. Ever patient and kind, he proved to be a true source of encouragement. One time, he had me read an article in The Watchtower about the importance of not giving up.a We discussed steps that I could take when I felt angry. Gradually, with the article in mind and with much prayer to Jehovah, I was able to bring my temper under control. Finally, in April 2000, I was baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Needless to say, my parents were thrilled.

HOW I HAVE BENEFITED: I now have peace of mind and a clean conscience, knowing that I am no longer defiling my body with drugs or immorality. No matter what I do, whether it’s working, attending a Christian meeting, or enjoying some form of recreation, I am much happier. I have a positive outlook on life.

I thank Jehovah for my parents, who never forgot about me. I also think of Jesus’ words found at John 6:44: “No man can come to me unless the Father, who sent me, draws him.” I am touched to think that I have been able to return to Jehovah because he drew me back.

“I Yearned for a Father.”​—MARCO ANTONIO ALVAREZ SOTO

YEAR BORN: 1977

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: CHILE

HISTORY: DEATH-METAL BAND MEMBER

MY PAST: I was raised by my mother in Punta Arenas, a pleasant city on the Strait of Magellan near the southern tip of South America. My parents separated when I was five years old, which left me feeling abandoned. I yearned for a father.

My mother studied the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses, and she took me to Christian meetings at the Kingdom Hall. However, I had an aversion to the meetings, and I would often throw a tantrum on the way there. When I was 13, I stopped attending altogether.

By that time, I had developed a love for music, and I realized that I had a knack for it. By age 15, I was playing heavy-metal and death-metal music at festivals, bars, and private gatherings. My association with talented musicians spawned in me an interest in classical music. I began to study music at a local conservatory. At 20, I moved to the capital, Santiago, to further my studies. I also continued playing in heavy-metal and death-metal bands.

All this time, I was plagued with feelings of emptiness. In an effort to alleviate those feelings, I would get drunk and take drugs with my bandmates, whom I considered my family. I had a rebellious attitude, which was evident in my appearance. I wore dark clothing, grew a beard, and let my hair grow almost down to my waist.

Time and again, my attitude got me into fights and in trouble with the law. Once, under the influence of alcohol, I attacked a group of drug dealers who were bothering my friends and me. The drug dealers beat me so badly that I ended up with a fractured jaw.

My greatest pain, however, came from those closest to me. One day, I found out that my girlfriend had been cheating on me for years with my best friend, and all my friends had been hiding it from me. I was crushed.

I moved back to Punta Arenas, where I began teaching music and working as a cellist. I also continued playing and recording with heavy-metal and death-metal bands. I met an attractive girl named Sussan, and we began living together. Some time later, Sussan found out that her mother believed in the Trinity doctrine and that I didn’t. “So, what is the truth?” she asked me. I responded that I knew that the Trinity doctrine is false but that I couldn’t prove it from the Bible. However, I knew who could. I told her that Jehovah’s Witnesses could show her the truth from the Bible. Then I did something I hadn’t done for many years​—I prayed to God and asked for his help.

A few days later, I saw a man who looked familiar, and I asked him if he was one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Although visibly shaken by my appearance, he kindly answered my questions regarding meetings at the Kingdom Hall. I was convinced that this encounter was the answer to my prayer. I went to the Kingdom Hall and sat in the last row so that no one would notice me. However, many began to recognize me from the days when I had attended as a child. They welcomed me and embraced me so affectionately that I felt an overwhelming peace. It was as if I had come home. When I saw the man who had taught me the Bible when I was little, I asked him to study with me again.

HOW THE BIBLE CHANGED MY LIFE: One day, I read Proverbs 27:11, which says: “Be wise, my son, and make my heart rejoice.” I was impressed to think that a mere mortal could make the Creator of the universe rejoice. It dawned on me that Jehovah was the Father figure that I had sought all my life!

I wanted to please my heavenly Father and do his will, but I had been a slave to drugs and alcohol for many years. I came to understand Jesus’ teaching recorded at Matthew 6:24, which says that “no one can slave for two masters.” As I struggled to make changes, the principle recorded at 1 Corinthians 15:33 hit home: “Bad associations spoil useful habits.” I realized that I could not quit my harmful habits if I continued to frequent the same places and associate with the same people. The Bible’s counsel was clear: I had to take drastic measures to break away from the things that were making me stumble.​—Matthew 5:30.

My passion for music made quitting the heavy-metal scene the most difficult decision I’ve ever had to make. But with the help of my friends in the congregation, I was finally able to break free. I quit overdrinking and taking drugs. I also cut my hair, shaved off my beard, and stopped dressing only in black. When I told Sussan that I wanted to cut my hair, her curiosity got the best of her. She said, “I’m going with you to see what this Kingdom Hall is all about!” She loved what she saw there, and soon she began studying the Bible herself. Eventually, Sussan and I got married. In 2008, we were baptized as Jehovah’s Witnesses. We are happy to be united with my mother in serving Jehovah.

HOW I HAVE BENEFITED: I have escaped from a world of sham happiness and treacherous associates. I still love music, but I am selective now. I use my experiences to benefit family members and others, especially young people. I want to help them see that much of what this world offers may appear attractive, but in the end it is just “a lot of refuse.”​—Philippians 3:8.

I have found loyal friends in the Christian congregation, where love and peace prevail. Above all, by drawing close to Jehovah, I have finally found my Father.

[Footnote]