THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE ONES! A Fathers Love for a Wayward Son Luke 15:11-24 “And he said, A certain man had two sons: And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth (belongs) unto me. And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after the younger son, gathered altogether and took a journey into a far country, and their wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into the fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose and came to his father, But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be thy son. But the father said to his servants. Bring forth the best robe, and put it upon him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.” What a wonderful story as told by our lively Lord! And if that isn’t love there is no stars in the sky, and there is no hope by and by! What incredible forgiveness on our heavenly Father’s part, in spite of our rejecting of His love, yet He comes to us with great love and compassion! This love pursued us in our wanderings, convinced us of our folly, bore with us patiently, sweetly induced us to lay down our arms and to submit. Weary and tired, the soul cries, “I surrender all, all to Him I freely give!” Amazing love and can it be, that Thou my God should die for me. Who can cheer the heart like Jesus? When the troubles of life overwhelm us and all hope seems to be gone, who is there but our unfailing Friend, Jesus? When the Prodigal returned to the Father, he was not given the place of a servant, rather the Father lavished upon him the best he was capable of providing. He had experienced the disappointment of drinking at a cistern that could hold no water and having the waters flee even as he stooped to drink and rebuke him to his face. Who can cheer the soul like Jesus by His power all Divine. The Father said, “Bring forth the best robe and put it upon him, picturing for us the robe of Christ’s righteousness. Bring the ring of reconciliation for his finger - He was now reconciled and would sit in a place of honor at the Father’s table - Put shoes on his feet, those feet that had taken him into a world of disillusionment and disappointment, would now take him to the place of fulfillment and contentment - Bring hither the fatted calf and let us make merry, for my son hath returned. He exchanged a swine’s pen for a palace; a popper existence for his father’s riches; a life of meaningless existence for a life of purpose and plenty. How many there are out there in sins dark night, lured by Satan with the promise of satisfaction unlimited. Once he has robbed us of all and left us destitute and with no hope, we like the Prodigal by the grace of God, come to ourselves and return to the Father’s house, where we find all that we had ever dreamed of and more, and not a guest at his table, but a son and heir to his inheritance, made good by the bank of heaven and guaranteed by His Son who paid the ransom price of our sin at Calvary. “Men have searched long for the philosopher’s stone and for the secret of perpetual motion - they have searched long and in vain. But no sincere soul in search of Christ has failed to find Him. More sure than the natural laws of physics or even the law of gravity, is the certainty that - Then shall we find Him when we seek Him with all our heart.” The returned Prodigal weeps in his father’s arms and cries: “This is the way I long had sought, And mourned because I found it nought.” “All my life long I had panted for a drink from some cool spring, That I hoped would quench the burning of the thirst I felt within. Feeding on the husk’s around me. Til my strength was almost gone. Longed my soul for something better, only still to hunger on. Well of water ever flowing, Bread of Life so rich and free, Untold wealth that never fail’eth, my redeemer is to me. Hallelujah, I have found Him - Whom my soul so long has craved! Jesus satisfies my longing; Through His blood I now am saved.” I can hear the Prodigal and ten million others sing these beautiful words - “Life was shattered and hope was gone - Crushing the load that I bore; Then out of the depths I cried, “O God, give me something worth living for. Something more than my yesterdays, more than I had before, Something more than wealth or fame - He gave something worth living for. There was life at its lowest ebb, Who could heal and restore? Then He came and mended my broken heart - He gave me something worth living for. O the joy of sins forgiven - Nothing the same as before; My life over flows since Jesus came and gave me something worth living for. Something more than my yesterdays, more than I had before, something more than wealth or fame - He gave me something worth living for.” - A Gaither Hymn He could now sing, “If I gained the world but lost the Saviour, were life worth living for a day. Could my yearning soul find rest and comfort in the things that soon shall pass away?” - a verse of another great hymn. He had learned that as the inscription over the door of a great cathedral in Milan Italy, is the words, “All that pleases is but for a moment.” “Our name is engraven upon His own hands, Our witness in heaven eternally stands; The nearest and dearest and choicest to Him, Without spot of wrinkle without or within. The tables and tablets of brass and of stone, With their deeply cut letters are soon overthrown; But none can erase the indelible names, Of those He redeems and eternally claims.” God’s mercy is like the mighty fathomless ocean and like the boundless and immeasurable sea. He stands on the threshold of an infinite eternity and waits for sinners like you and me! “The love of God is greater far than tongue or pen can ever tell. It goes beyond the highest star and reaches to the lowest hell. The guilty pair, bowed down with care, God gave His Son to win; His erring child He reconciled, And pardoned from his sin. O love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong! It shall for ever more endure - The saints and angels song. When years of time shall pass away, And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall. When men, who refuse to pray, On rocks and hills and mountains call, God’s love so sure shall still endure, All measureless and strong; Redeeming grace to Adam’s race - The saints and angels song. Could we with ink the ocean fill, And were the skies a parchment made, Were every stock on earth a quill, And every man a scribe by trade, to write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry. Nor could the scroll contain the whole, Though stretched from sky to sky. F. H. Lehman “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” – Isaiah 1:18. The hymn writer wrote: “In tenderness He sought me, weary, and sick with sin, And on his shoulders brought me - Back to His fold again; While angels in His presence sang - Until the courts of heaven rang. He washed the bleeding sin wounds, and poured in oil and wine; He whispered to assure me, “I have found thee, thou art mine. He pointed to the nail prints for me His blood was shed. A mocking crown so thorny was placed upon His head: I wondered what He saw in me to suffer such deep agony.” “In the lonely night of sin he may have cried: Depth of mercy can there be - Mercy still reserved for me? Can my God His wrath forbear – me the chief of sinners spare? I have long withstood His grace, Long provoked Him to His face, Would not harken to His calls, grieved Him by a thousand falls. Now incline me to repent; let me now my sins lament; Now my foul revolt deplore, Weep, believe and sin no more. There for me my Saviour stands, Holding forth His wounded hands; God is love! I know, I feel, Jesus weeps and love’s me still.” - Charles Wesley My friend come to Jesus it is the right time for you: “… Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” – 11 Corinthians 6:2 b. Don’t delay another day, tomorrow could be too late! Just like the Prodigal, cry out to God in sorrow for your sin and ask Him to forgive you and turn your life over to Him and He will accept you right now and cleanse you and wash you in His precious blood, at that very moment you will be a member of the family of God and your heavenly Father; just like the prodigal Son was! - Dr. Steeves
Posted on: Wed, 31 Dec 2014 23:00:30 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015