Returning to the Father

I would imagine that many of us, if not all of us, made some very bad choices when we were teenagers or young adults. We can think we know what is best, even though our parents, who love us very much, have advised us to do things differently than what we want to do. We may have even run away from home, or started hanging out with the wrong crowd. Then, we crash and burn, when our way doesn't work. We have to decide what to do then. The right thing is to return to our parents and admit we were wrong. We may not be able to summon the courage to take that step, because we fear what our parents will say or do. That leaves us alienated from them, until we finally return. The same thing happens to us in our relationship with the Lord. We go our way, get messed up, and we have to return to Him with a sincere apology of repentance. We might hesitate to do this, as well, but we shouldn't. Jesus told a parable that shows us what returning to the Lord is like. (Luke 15:20) Always remember, God is waiting and watching for us. When He sees us coming, He will be filled with compassion and run to us in love. He will throw His arms around our neck and kiss us in greeting. It will be the best reunion we could ever imagine. So what is holding you back?

We can be pretty headstrong and proud, even as believers. We can turn away from the Lord and go have our "fun." That pleasure only lasts for a short time. Our friends desert us, and we are left with no one to pick us up. That is how it is when we have the wrong friends, and we are doing the wrong things. However, our pride holds us back, and we still want to make our way work. Then, things get even worse. Why? Because we have a loving Heavenly Father, who is watching out for us. He hates to see us ruining our life. He gives us trials to bring us back to the right way. The Spirit speaks to our heart. We know for sure that we must confess our sins and repent. I pray we will all make that choice, if that is where we are in our lives. God will not reprimand us. He will run to us. God will not treat us badly, but He will embrace us. Then, we can listen to Him and experience life as it should have been all of the time. Please, read this parable in Luke 15, listen to the Spirit, and run into the arms of our loving Lord.

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Tomorrow, I intend to read Luke 16-19.