The Father’s Heart

The Heart desire of our God is to dwell amongst us, such that He will be our God and we will be His sons and daughters. This heart desire is clearly demonstrated in the parable of the Prodigal son found in Luke 15:11-32. We saw the heart of a Father that is not judgmental, that only sees what we were made to be. When the youngest son decided to leave his father’s house with what he had inherited, the father did not scold, argue or get angry with him. I am sure the father felt that the teachings and trainings that the son had received in his house should kick in at this crucial time. However, the young man’s heart never pondered on those teachings and trainings he had received from his father. The Bible says, based on the younger son’s request, the father divided his assets amongst his two sons happily without any prejudice. He did not feel sad, that his beloved son would ask for his inheritance whilst he was still alive. After all, you inherit a man’s possessions after his death. By his action he proved that he did not care if his father lived or died. The father on the other hand without any misgivings gave all he had. Unfortunately, the younger son wasted his inheritance in reckless and loose living. After much suffering he chose to return to his father. The Bible says when he came to his senses he remembered his father’s love especially in the way he treats those that are not his sons. This goes to prove that he was not in his right frame of mind – he was practically mad. Friend, sin is actually madness!!! That is why Christ said in John 16:8, that the Holy Spirit will come and convict the world about sin, righteousness and judgment. The beauty about this parable is that while the son was a long way off, the father saw him and ran to him, embraced and kissed him fervently. One would have expected a strong reprimand and to some extreme cases a disowning of the terrible son! But the father didn’t! This attitude of the father is further buttressed in 2Corinthians 6:17-18 – “So, come out from among [unbelievers], and separate (sever) yourselves from them, says the Lord, and touch not [any] unclean thing; then I will receive you kindly and treat you with favor, and I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” (AMP) Once we come out of the mess we fell in and decide in our hearts to return, it does not matter at what point or how low we descended, our Father will meet us at that point and welcome us with great joy in His Heart. He is not going to welcome us with a judging attitude or a truck load of reprimands but a loving warm embrace. There is nothing dark, dirty or evil we may have done that our Father will not take us back from once we declare in our hearts to return. Our position as a beloved and honored son in His Heart is restored back to us. It will then look as if we never sinned! That is how great and beautiful the Heart of the Father is. No wonder the Bible says in Ephesians 3:17-21 that if we respond favorably to Him, then we may be able to comprehend the length, width, height and depth of God’s love. A love that surpasses all knowledge and comprehension. A love that one cannot fully understand in a life time; a love that propels Him to do above and beyond what we can ever ask or imagine according to the power that works in us – which is Him! He is waiting my friend, take the step and He will meet you all the way. God bless you.