He Loves You Even When You Fall

But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. Luke 15:20 (NKJV)

Yesterday we began to discuss the heart of God, which Jesus taught about in Luke 15. In that chapter, we also find the parable of the prodigal son, which paints another clear picture of God’s heart for you and me.

In the parable, a man’s youngest son asked for his inheritance ahead of time, moved away, and then proceeded to waste his money on “prodigal living.” After he had spent it all, he was starving. So the son decided to go back to his father to beg to be made one of his hired servants.

The son in the story represents us, and the father represents God. What I want you to think about is how legalistic religion would tell this story. As the story goes, while the son was still a long way off, his father was watching eagerly for him and ran to hug and kiss him. But if this story had a legalistic religious spin, instead of embracing the son, the father would have his arms crossed, and he would make that son pay a stiff penalty before he even considered welcoming him back.

Not only did this father embrace his son, but he dressed him in the best robe, put a ring on his hand that signified that his position as his son was fully reinstated , and then prepared a feast in celebration.

Now, doesn’t that paint a great picture of the heart of God? God isn’t angry and vindictive. He is so in love with each of us, and when we fall, He waits with open arms for us to come back to Him!