Jesus told another story to illustrate God’s love just for you. He spoke of a son who asked his father for his share of the inheritance early. The father complied and the son went off to spend the inheritance in a distant place. The son made a lot of bad choices, wasted his inheritance, and ended up hurting and alone. He finally came to his senses and decided to go back home. Little did the son know, his father had been looking for him. In fact, when the father saw his son from afar making his way home, the father was filled with compassion for him, ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
And what I think is the best part of the story is that even when the son said to the father that he had sinned against the father and was no longer worthy to be called a son, the father did not reply with “I told you so” or “how could you have done this?” Instead, the father made no reply except to tell the servants to quickly bring the best robe and put it on him, put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet, and prepare a feast to celebrate as his son who was dead was alive again; he was lost and now he was found.
In the same way, God is waiting on you. It is not hard to find him as he has been looking for you and waiting on you. It does not matter what you have done, God longs for you to come home. He will not condemn you or scold you or throw in your face what you might have done. Instead, he longs to wrap his compassionate arms around you and just love on you.
He has made it easy for you to find your way home. The Bible says that everyone has made bad and destructive choices (otherwise known as sin) and the only penalty for sin is spiritual death, that is, separation from God forever. But because God so longs to be with you, he sent his perfect son Jesus to die in your place for the wrong choices that you have made. But Jesus didn’t just die, he rose again. And because he lives, you can come home. The Bible says that all you need to do to be near God is to accept the one who paid the price for you, that is, “if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9.
If you would like to come home today, you can, right here, right now. Tell God right now that you want to come home. Say this to God:Father, I know that I am lost without you. I have made bad choices and do not want to make them anymore. I want to be with you. I want to know your love. I want to come home. I believe in my heart that Jesus died for me and you raised him from the dead. I confess that he is Lord. I thank you now for saving me. Amen.
On behalf of our Father, WELCOME HOME!
