To Punish or To Bless?
How do you view Father God’s attitude toward you?
Do you see God waiting for you to miss the mark so he can punish you or do you see Him ready to bless you because He loves you, even when you miss the mark?
Luke 15:11-30 is the account of the son who requested his money from his father, separated himself to another land and lost all he had with ‘loose living’ (NASB). He fed pigs and ate their food, and then decided to return to his father, where even the servants were well cared for.
Let’s see the actions of the dad as his son returns.
In verse 20 we see him looking for his boy, loving him, running to him, hugging and kissing him; even though the son probably smelled like those pigs he had tended.
In verse 22 he calls for the best robe, a ring, and sandals for him, even before he was cleaned up.
His focus was on his son’s return, not his past.
I believe this is an exact representation of the Father’s love for us, even when we have missed it.
I can hear someone saying “But you don’t know what I’ve done.” This parable demonstrates the greater power of the shed blood of Jesus, overwhelmingly greater than anything we’ve done.
And don’t worry about how the young man eventually got cleaned up to live pleasing to his father. I am confident that father of this young man instructed his son (with words, not punishment); just as our Father instructs us with His Word (2 Timothy 3: 14 – 16).
