But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.
--Luke 15:20
The parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15 is one of the most dramatic pictures of God’s love in all the Scripture.
And today’s verse is one of my favorites. What a picture of God Almighty! What a picture of God the Father! I like the way Phillips translates the last phrase of this verse. It says, “His father’s heart went out to him while he was yet a long way off.”
This is not a father who can’t wait to punish his sinful son. This is not a father who has written that boy off as wasted and worthless. This is a loving, caring father who cannot wait to embrace his son and to welcome him home! That’s why, when the father sees his son off in the distance, he leaves the house and runs down the road to meet him and to embrace him and bring him in.
What I hope you see here is a picture of the Father’s love for you. God’s love is an aggressive love…a love that’s eager and excessive. His love is approachable. And His love is abundant.
The prodigal son’s father didn’t hold back his love from his child. And God will never withhold His love from you!
God is a loving father who can’t wait to embrace you and welcome you home!
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”
Luke 18:13–14
Following the assassination of President William McKinley in 1901, the third president to be killed in office, the Secret Service was given the responsibility of protecting the president’s life. Agents were detailed to guard the leader of our nation around the world, a responsibility that continues to this day. One of the most important tools the Secret Service uses to guard the president is their ability to limit access to the occupant of the Oval Office. People are not allowed to just walk in and see the president whenever they want.
In contrast, God offers us the ability to freely come into His presence as His children. Yet even though that offer is available, we can cut ourselves off from His grace if we allow pride to lift up our view of ourselves and keep us from being humble. “Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5).
Like a parent holding a child whose face is covered in filth at arm’s length until they can be cleaned up, God views our pride as putrid and disgusting, and it leads Him to resist our prayers. Though our standing as His children cannot be changed, our relationship with Him is dramatically damaged when we hold pride in our hearts. Prayer and pride simply cannot coexist in our lives.
Today’s Growth Principle:
Pride blocks our prayers from being heard and robs us of the grace God offers to freely provide.
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