So he got up and went to his Father. But while he was still a long way off, his Father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; He ran to His son, threw His arms around him and kissed him.
We all make mistakes. Whether we make what we perceive as small ones, or big ones, or massive ones, we all make them. There is no chance in all of the universe that you or I will get through even one hour without making some sort of mistake and sinning against God. We rebel against His authority in our lives and live the way that we want and sometimes feel entitled to live. We turn away from the Father and do our own thing with the wonderful gifts He has given to us. We squander our talents and use them for personal gain rather than for building up the kingdom of God, but at some point in our lives, we will realize that doing things our way is not satisfying.
When we come to the point where we realize that we are not being satisfied by things that we are doing, we have a choice. We can either spend our days being dissatisfied with what we have in our lives and just continue to do what we've always done, or we can look to the Father and run back to Him with the heart of a servant, ready to serve Him and His kingdom in whatever way He has called us to do so. We also need to do this without expectations. We can't go running back to the Father expecting Him to give us an elevated position or a wonderful experience. We should go back, humble and ready to do even the most menial tasks to build His kingdom. He will put us in the place that is right for us. He knows where our talents are best used and where they will build His kingdom the most.
My most cherished part of this parable is verse 20. I love how when we make the decision to turn back to the Father, even though we feel like we are so far away from Him, He will run to us and fold us into His arms and just love us. When we choose to go back to Him, He will be there, no matter how far we have strayed from His purpose for our lives!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dt9M_QHgapY Please take a look at this video about this parable of the prodigal son. It is a beautiful song about the love God has for us, even when we have turned our backs on Him.
-Meg
What I learned today:
-God loves us no matter what!
-we are lost but found in Christ and in Luke 15:11-32 it is
illustrated by the two sons and their father.
-we have to confess/admit our sins to ourselves too, if we can’t
admit we did something then really we haven’t truly confessed.
This devotion and passage reminded me of a conversation I had with my mentor Sarah. She used this parable as an example when I was struggling with some family issues and was upset that my parents were favoring my brother over me. It really helped me come to terms with it, and see everything in a different way.
-Tiff
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