Scripture Focus:
Luke 15:20 (NIV) — “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.”
When you come to God, how do you expect Him to feel about you? Many of us already have an answer before we arrive. Some of us expect disappointment, as if we have let Him down again. Others expect Him to feel far away, or impatient, or too busy for us. We often learned to expect these things early, from people who loved us but were also imperfect. Without meaning to, we start to imagine that God feels about us the way they did.
Jesus once told a story about a son who expected the worst. The young man was returning home after a long time away, and he was sure his father would be cold and angry. On the walk home, he practiced a speech. He had decided he would not even ask to be treated as a son anymore. Being a servant would be enough.
But watch the father. While the son was still far down the road, the father saw him. He did not wait with his arms crossed. He ran to his son. He put his arms around him and welcomed him home before the son could even finish his speech.
If you have been expecting God to be cold when you come to Him, look closely at this father. God is not disappointed in you, or too far away, or too busy. He sees you while you are still far off, and He comes toward you, glad that you came.
This does not mean God ignores the things that hurt us. It means He may feel far kinder toward you than you expected. You can stop practicing the speech. The Father is already running to you.
Weekly Challenge:
This week, notice what you expect God to feel when you come to Him. Then read Luke 15 slowly, and let this father show you how God really feels about you.