Read It, Learn It,
Live It, Share It
"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." - Luke 15:20
The story of
the prodigal son is familiar to most. We
associate the compassion of the Father in the parable to the compassion of the
Lord our God, and therefore the son becomes representative of you and I. Dirty, smelly and filled with shame we have
struggled and failed time and time again only to return to God, the Father
seeking His acceptance. Flip the pages
back though and look at the beginning of the story. We find the young, arrogant, self-righteous
son demanding his portion and freedom from his father’s control. His father honor’s the request and watches,
I’m sure with tear filled eyes, as his son walks away into a world of hardship
and pain. The son chooses to leave the
loving comfort that the father was providing.
The safety, the warmth and security of his father’s care discarded and
deemed unworthy to this young man.
We can picture a young man tired of being under his father’s thumb, abiding by his father’s rules, and having to tend to his father’s work. I’m sure you can relate to his philosophy of desired independence and breaking away to prove to his father and the world that he can do it better on his own, alone, despite their warnings. Do you think the son was crying as he walked away from his father that day or joyful? This young man, ready to take on the world, walks away, proud and strong-minded. He lives it up, wallowing in the lusts of the flesh and mind, and rolling in the mire of unrighteousness, only to find it painful and empty in the end. Soon he finds himself struggling with the life he so much desired to have. Desperation sets in and we find the son longing to be in the presence of his father once again.
Can you relate to this story? I can. I find it representative of society in the 21st century. We see many youth falling into this mode of longing for something different than what their parents can provide. Longing for that independence and self-indulgence, to prove that they can make it on their own. Living out the desires of their flesh, without concern for the impact on others or themselves for that matter. How long will it take for society and the worldly values to overtake the ingrained values from their family structure? At what point will we find today’s youth turning back to God, recognizing the error of their ways and seeking acceptance by the One they have intentionally denied? We have found that so many of them are lost today. They are led by the enemy to believe that they are unworthy of God’s forgiveness and beyond His acceptance into heaven. From this perspective, we find them refusing to accept His existence. By refusing God’s existence, they can continue in their sinful life without any fear of condemnation.
The good news is that God’s compassion, grace and mercy are sufficient for any sin, lust or addiction they can compile. Regardless of the depths of their destructive nature and lust filled ambitions, the God of the Universe offers up a forgiving grace that is sufficient for their redemption. His only requirement is the acceptance of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Returning to an acknowledgment of God’s presence and authority over life, just as the Prodigal Son did. In doing so, these individuals will find God’s arms strong, loving and open to embrace them where they are. This is not a situation where they need to clean themselves up first and then come to the Lord. No, for you see they could never clean themselves sufficiently enough to stand in His presence. His love is beyond the surface, beyond the sin and filth that make up our lives. He loves us for who we truly are inside – His child; and when we return to Him, a celebration will take place in heaven.
Our role is to ensure that this youthful generation knows that they are not lost in God’s eyes. As they seek for that religion of “acceptance” it is critically important that they fully understand God’s love for them and His limitless grace. They need to know that there is nothing they can do to make themselves presentable, yet even in their state, God will accept them. Be conscious of those in your circle of influence and reach out to them where they are. Share the good news of grace and of mercy with them, so that they are aware of God’s love for them. You can’t save them, only God can; but you can help them see. Be blessed.
PRAYER:
We can picture a young man tired of being under his father’s thumb, abiding by his father’s rules, and having to tend to his father’s work. I’m sure you can relate to his philosophy of desired independence and breaking away to prove to his father and the world that he can do it better on his own, alone, despite their warnings. Do you think the son was crying as he walked away from his father that day or joyful? This young man, ready to take on the world, walks away, proud and strong-minded. He lives it up, wallowing in the lusts of the flesh and mind, and rolling in the mire of unrighteousness, only to find it painful and empty in the end. Soon he finds himself struggling with the life he so much desired to have. Desperation sets in and we find the son longing to be in the presence of his father once again.
Can you relate to this story? I can. I find it representative of society in the 21st century. We see many youth falling into this mode of longing for something different than what their parents can provide. Longing for that independence and self-indulgence, to prove that they can make it on their own. Living out the desires of their flesh, without concern for the impact on others or themselves for that matter. How long will it take for society and the worldly values to overtake the ingrained values from their family structure? At what point will we find today’s youth turning back to God, recognizing the error of their ways and seeking acceptance by the One they have intentionally denied? We have found that so many of them are lost today. They are led by the enemy to believe that they are unworthy of God’s forgiveness and beyond His acceptance into heaven. From this perspective, we find them refusing to accept His existence. By refusing God’s existence, they can continue in their sinful life without any fear of condemnation.
The good news is that God’s compassion, grace and mercy are sufficient for any sin, lust or addiction they can compile. Regardless of the depths of their destructive nature and lust filled ambitions, the God of the Universe offers up a forgiving grace that is sufficient for their redemption. His only requirement is the acceptance of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Returning to an acknowledgment of God’s presence and authority over life, just as the Prodigal Son did. In doing so, these individuals will find God’s arms strong, loving and open to embrace them where they are. This is not a situation where they need to clean themselves up first and then come to the Lord. No, for you see they could never clean themselves sufficiently enough to stand in His presence. His love is beyond the surface, beyond the sin and filth that make up our lives. He loves us for who we truly are inside – His child; and when we return to Him, a celebration will take place in heaven.
Our role is to ensure that this youthful generation knows that they are not lost in God’s eyes. As they seek for that religion of “acceptance” it is critically important that they fully understand God’s love for them and His limitless grace. They need to know that there is nothing they can do to make themselves presentable, yet even in their state, God will accept them. Be conscious of those in your circle of influence and reach out to them where they are. Share the good news of grace and of mercy with them, so that they are aware of God’s love for them. You can’t save them, only God can; but you can help them see. Be blessed.
PRAYER:
Heavenly
Father,
You have given us your amazing grace, that
no-one, not one shall fall short of your love.
Help us to be busy about sharing your grace with others and encouraging
them wherever they are that your love is real.
Remove condemnation from our mind and heart as we reach out to the world
with compassion upon our lips.
Compassion for those in sinful lives, those who are in the mire of the
world’s values and living in the lie of the great deceiver, who has told them
they are unforgivable. Give us your tear
filled eyes, that we might see them as the Father accepting his lost son home
again. For it is through Your Son –
Jesus Christ that we pray – Amen
©
Sondove Enterprises, 2013For more Daily Thoughts go to: http://sondove.blogspot.com
No comments:
Post a Comment