Read:
We’re conditioned to believe that everyone’s love comes with strings attached – and it’s possible to make one too many mistakes for someone to ever forgive us again. We also apply this idea of love to God – but the reality couldn’t be more opposite.
The story of the prodigal son shows us what God’s love is really like. The son in this story made every mistake possible: he ran away from home, wasted everything, and hit rock bottom. When he finally decided to return, he was convinced his father would never take him back in – and the only way was to offer to be a servant, not a son.
Instead, the unexpected (and unthinkable happened): his father ran toward him with open arms, cried tears of joy at his return, and threw a huge party to celebrate his homecoming. Imagine that!
Lent is a season of returning. It challenges us to realize that no matter how far we’ve gone, God’s love is still bigger. He doesn’t hold your past against you. He isn’t waiting for you to pull yourself up by your bootstraps and clean yourself up first. He just wants you to come home. In fact, he’s already running toward you.
Pray: God, I don’t want to stay distant from you. Help me trust your love and take a step closer today. Amen.