“So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.”
Luke 12:32, NLT
“Whom should we love, if not Him who loved us, and gave himself for us?”
–Augustus Toplady
Our heavenly Father chooses to passionately love us with an unconditional and unwavering affection that knows no bounds. It is a love that transcends time and surpasses all understanding. It is a love that sees us in our entirety, recognizing our flaws and imperfections, yet embracing us with open arms.
God’s love is not a fleeting emotion (like ours).
It’s not “here today, gone tomorrow.”
It is a profound and intentional love that is rooted in a deep understanding of who we are at our core. Our heavenly Father knows us intimately, having knit us together in our mother’s womb. He understands our dreams, our fears, and our longings.
His love is not based on our performance or achievements, but simply on the fact that we are His beloved children.
In His love, we find security and solace. We are enveloped by His presence, knowing that He is always with us, guiding our steps and holding us in His tender care. His love is a refuge in times of trouble, a source of strength in moments of weakness, and a fountain of joy in times of celebration.
It is in this love that we find our true identity and worth.
Our Father sees us as His precious creation, fearfully and wonderfully made. He affirms our value and purpose, reminding us that we are chosen, forgiven, and redeemed. In His love, we find the freedom to be ourselves, to embrace our uniqueness, and to live out our calling with passion and purpose.
So let us bask in the fullness of this outrageous love.
Allow it to heal our deepest wounds, transform our hearts, and empower us to love others with the same selfless love that our heavenly Father has lavished upon us. Let us rest in the knowledge that we are deeply loved, cherished, and treasured by the One who created us and knows us by name.
“What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it—we’re called children of God!”
1 John 3:1
I believe in His love for you. I hope you can see it too. Do you remember getting brand new sneakers when you were a kid? When I put mine on I just knew I could run faster, and leap higher! That’s what God’s love for us is like.
You are meant to show it off. He has called you to display His transforming loving grace. It alone has the power to change your heart and the lives of those you meet. His love will never leave us alone.
“So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.”
Luke 15:20, NLT
There comes a time when the prodigal stands up–looks around, and then decides he can’t live this way anymore, it’s now time to return home. But he is no longer a ‘rich man’s son’, the pig-pen completely crushed that idea. He returns home, thinking that at least he can be a slave.
The devastated prodigal now understands.
And it’s that which gives him the propulsion to leave the pigs behind, and begin to somehow be received by his father. The trip is a long one, lots of walking, and yes, it’s hard–he’s far from where he’s supposed to be. He is tired, ragged and worn.
But please dear one, you must understand this about Jesus’ parable–the story isn’t so much about the prodigal son, rather I think that the focus should really be on the father. Jesus is teaching us that the love of God is a searching/seeking kind of love, and it cannot be shut down, or go away over time. Not ever.
You see, it is a 24/7/365 day kind of love.
Think of it like high intensity radar that sweeps over extreme distances, it is always looking, seeking, and it won’t be denied. The Father is seeking for His sons and daughters. He intends to find them. If we refuse we will continue to feed pigs, over and over, and we will starve.
The running love of the Father is strenuous and reaching.
The Father never sits on His backside, calmly watching from His throne. He reaches out and runs to us. God doesn’t sit. He is far from passive, rather He intensely yearns for His son. And God is fully into reclaiming His missing sons and daughters, just like in Jesus’ story.
He continues to search, even in when things get really bad.
Sin disfigures, a meth addict’s mug shots over time
The Father recognizes His prodigal son. It’s funny, but gross sin often has a way that disfigures a person’s countenance. Look at the wino or meth addict on the street.
The boy who abruptly left home is not the son who returns. There has been damage done. His face has changed. The Father understands this, and yes, it has been terribly hard and brutal. But that hardly matters.
I believe that this parable is the greatest of them all.
Jesus is explaining the deep love the Father has for prodigals like us. This story is so revealing, in it we see that the Father who is running. We must know this about Him. We must internalize it and understand the compassion He has. If we stall in our discipleship it’s because we don’t grip the awesome depth of His love.
There seems to be very few people who understand a running God.
The prodigal son is a timeless parable that transcends generations, holds within it a profound message of forgiveness, redemption, and unending love. As we delve deeper into the intricate layers of this tale, we discover a powerful metaphor that illuminates the human experience and the unwavering compassion of the Father.
As the prodigal hits bottom he realizes the futility of his choices and yearns to return to the forgiving embrace of his father. Overwhelmed by guilt and shame, he makes the long journey back to the home he once took for granted. Little does he know it, behind the scenes, his father has been watching, waiting, and hoping for his return.
And then, in a moment that encapsulates the beauty of unconditional love, the father catches sight of his boy from afar. Without a second thought, the father runs towards him with outstretched arms, his love insisting on forgiveness.
We see a love that surpasses human understanding.
The parable teaches us about the power of redemption and forgiveness, reminding us that no sin is too great to be forgiven, and no distance is too far for reconciliation. It emphasizes the importance of humbly seeking forgiveness and shows that love is always within reach.
Jesus teaches us a different kind of love. It’s not based on achievements or what society says. This love is given to everyone, regardless of their flaws, but in order to have it, they must leave the pigs behind. Sometimes that isn’t always easy.
This profound depth of His love often leaves us feeling totally doubtful or skeptical.
Our logical minds struggle to grasp how such boundless love can exist, especially when we witness the failings and flaws of human love. Yet, it is precisely because love transcends logic that it is so powerful. It operates on a different plane, bypassing our human limitations and revealing a deeper truth about the nature of God’s infinite compassion.
So, let us tell others about this love that Jesus spoke of.
Let’s begin to see that this compassion will transform lives, heal wounds, and bridge divides. For when we approach Jesus’ parable with humility and faith, we may just catch a glimpse of its power and appreciate its profound beauty in a new way.
If the Church can just keep up with our running God, we will finally understand who He really is. And if we only accept the love of the Father towards prodigals—no matter what the sin—it’s then we will finally understand the white-hot love of the Kingdom of Jesus.
And the Church will finally be doing His will in the world.
“Yet those who wait for the Lord Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.”
Isaiah 40:31, NASB
The particular word “wait” is a vital force that must be reckoned with. It’s not used passively in the Scriptures. It does not mean to be apathetic or lazy. Sometimes we wait in line at the grocery store, or maybe we’re waiting for a phone call. We regularly wait all the time, and usually, we don’t even realize it.
The Hebrew word for ‘wait’ is special. It’s qāvâ. It means, ‘to bind together by twisting.’
It will sometimes mean to work like a fisherman who repairs his nets to get them ready for tomorrow’s task.
(There are always holes to mend after a long night’s efforts.)
When I truly wait on God, I realize that I’m actually repairing myself for His heart and for His work.
Seeing His face
Hearing His voice
Keeping pace with Him, whether He moves or doesn’t
It’s a fascinating way of describing something, isn’t it? Sometimes, when we think of waiting only in the context of the English language, it can become a frustrating delay. This often causes us to miss out on the true meaning of ‘wait’. I strongly believe that the Holy Spirit wants us to understand the concept of being closely connected to God. Sadly, we are often held back by our own definitions, rather than embracing the definitions found in God’s Word.
“The LORD is good to those who WAIT for him, to the soul who seeks him.”
Psalm 27:14
For those of us who are sick – in body or mind – being told to “wait on the Lord” can be difficult to understand and accept. It is common for us to feel frustrated with this advice and the person giving it, mainly because we don’t fully grasp the true meaning of ‘waiting.’ We get close to understanding it, but we never quite reach that understanding of that word.
“WAIT for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; WAIT for the LORD!”
Psalm 27:14
He becomes my strength; He is now the strong cord I am braided into. (Perhaps this is how He imparts strength and might to His people?) We need this, and the Lord is quite eager to lead us into this new kind of intimacy.
“The LORD is good to those who WAIT for him, to the soul who seeks him.”
Lamentations 3:25
The promise in Isaiah 40:31 talks about getting new strength, like an eagle’s wings, a holy energy. This verse is important for us, especially today; we need this kind of strength right now. I just want to inspire you during your prayer time to become consciously and purposefully connected to the Lord.
It’s only then can we can put our nets back together again?
“Waiting for God is not laziness. Waiting for God is not going to sleep. Waiting for God is not the abandonment of effort. Waiting for God means, first, activity under command; second, readiness for any new command that may come; third, the ability to do nothing until the command is given.”
Broken Believers 