Luke 15:22-23 "But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on 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:"
We see in these verses how a father ought to be with the son who had left and has returned. This father had an undying love for his son and was also forgiving. The father in this account is a picture of our Heavenly Father.
Our Heavenly Father requires righteousness of us that can only be given by Him but also requires judgment of the sins we commit. He is always ready to forgive that one who comes back and restore fellowship when that one repents of the things he has done.
When the son returned home the father showed love and forgiveness toward that son. He gave him the robe and put a ring on his finger to symbolize his acceptance and restoration.
God revealed a lot to me about this account through a man that I know whose son had committed sin and had to serve time in prison as a result. This man's son had lied to his daddy and done some very wicked things. He deserved to serve time in prison and this son as well as his daddy realized it.
What got my attention (and I did not understand) was that when his son came out of prison to return home...his daddy had fixed up his car and replaced a lot of what the son had wrong with his car. He also had new bedroom furniture and a new paint job done in his bedroom. He had done so much for his son that I just didn't understand. I had felt that because his son had hurt his family so much that he didn't deserve anything when he came home.
One day some time later...God showed me through this account of the prodigal son in Luke chapter 15 that what this man did for his son was biblical. This man was not doing all of it to praise his son for all the wrong he had done...but to let him know that he forgave him. At that point I felt guilty for the feelings I had about it all.
He also showed me that our Heavenly Father is the same way with us. Many are leaving the will of God to go off and do their own thing and when they come back to God with a repentant heart...the Father is there waiting and willing to forgive and restore and give us back those things we lost while out living in sin.
Thank you Father for your forgiveness and restoration!!
16 comments:
Praise the Lord for his unending love and forgiveness when we get messed up. I am so thankful that God don't act toward us like we do toward his children that have walked away. Would we have the same attitude that God has that after someone repents that we jump at forgiving them, and restoring them. Good Post Mrs Julie. Of course this post will and can preach.
bro Tim
bro. tim....thank you. I believe it can...but will it really? Are you saying that you may have a message that was born from this thought? Wow...I love it when that happens...LOL!! Love y'all!!
Amen Sis Julie!
" and restore and give us back those things we lost while out living in sin."
That phrase really caught my attention! We often acknowledge the Father's forgiveness but do we always take into account everything He does to restore us? This is so true and God is so good! I know I need to be more thankful as I look back over some things.
Thank you for this post! :-)
sis. pamela...I need to be more thankful as well. This post really helped me as I was putting it together.
Hey Sister Julie!
thank you for commenting on my blog! I LOVE getting comments! it makes me soooo happy to see I got another comment!
Love,
Sis. Kimi
Sis. Kimberly....you are very welcome. I'll be checking your blog so you better make sure to post so I'll have something to read. No doubt others from my site will come by to visit you too. I look forward to seeing what you post!! Love you!!
For those of you reading this comment...Kimberly is Jessica's sister. She is a godly young lady who has a love for and desire to serve the Lord. Go check out her site. She will appreciate it.
thanks for stopping by my blogs! I'm adding you to my blog list so please keep in touch as I will do the same! God Bless!
melissa...I'll definitely be checking in. Thanks for coming by and letting me know you are adding me to your links.
Hi!!
Loved this post so, very true!!
Ginger
I love those verses. I love the Father. He showed us how we are to be to those who have sinned and ask forgiveness and have been forgiven and fellowship restored. May we always be so loving and kind and remember except for the grace of God there go I. Wonderful post. connie from Texas
ginger...yes it is.
sis. connie...Amen!!
Amen, Sis Julie. I'm thankful that when THIS prodigal came home, The Heavenly Father was there with open arms. He's been so good to me.
~Kristi
sis. kristi...He's been better to me than I deserve!! Praise the Lord!!
I love the story of the prodigal son. We can study it from several different angles. Ones I have tackled are:
The cost of sin and repentance.
God's love and forgiveness.
How each item pictures salvation (the kiss of reconciliation, robe, ring, shoes, fatted calf).
The value of one (taking in all three parables: 100 sheep; then 10 coins, then two brothers - God kept searching for the one that was lost in each case).
I have not really preached on the older son, though that is part of the story too (that often gets overlooked). We could study out this passage from the perspective of each of the characters: the father (picturing God), the prodigal son, the older son - even the servants (this is something that came to mind this morning as I was thinking about your post and this parable - rejoicing in his salvation, being the bearers of the robe, etc. that picture salvation - just some ideas...).
" and restore and give us back those things we lost while out living in sin."
That phrase really caught my attention! We often acknowledge the Father's forgiveness but do we always take into account everything He does to restore us?
This reply in your comments reminded me of several verses I have tackled in my preaching (though I am not sure if I related them to the prodigal son or not):
Joel 2:25 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.
Hosea 14:4 I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him.
bro. jerry...Amen!! I've always heard preached the prodigal son but hadn't ever heard a message about the father. But when let this real life experience happen in my life God revealed to me a whole new light on things. I really did feel horrible for thinking the way I did about this man's son and the father doing all he did for him in spite of how that son treated his family. Its something I will never forget that is for sure.
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