Written by: Precious Ohanson
Luke 15: 11-32
The parable of the lost (prodigal) son is one of many stories that we are all too familiar with. Sometimes I wonder why certain stories were particularly written in the bible. Not every single second or minute is accounted for in the dispensation of the bible days. Yet, particular events and stories were selectively written by authors of the bible through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. If there is one thing that remained consistent with many of these selective accounts in the bible, it is how God showed His persistent and unconditional love through his relentless pursuit of man through many generations. Just like the prodigal son, we make choices that lead us far away from the father’s reach and bosom, however; never too far from His love. This is because His love fiercely cuts through every mistake, disappointment, sin, wrong choices...and extends grace to pull us out of any hole we have landed ourselves in.
“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8: 38 - 39
The beautiful thing about the prodigal son is that after coming to his senses, he decided within himself that he is going home. If things were not conducive at home, if he had a rocky relationship with his father from his childhood or if his father never gave him that sense of security growing up that he would always have a home with him, the son would never have thought it to himself to go home. That would be an option he never would have considered. He didn’t also say to himself, “let me clean myself up or loan money to repay my father before I go to him.” He went just as he was, back to the father in all his shame and guilt. That is the same thing God has shown us through scriptures: to come just as we are! We cannot rewrite our actions of mistake, however; what we can do and seems to be the only option available is to accept His love. Just like the man waiting with an open embrace for his lost son to come home, God waits on us hoping, anticipating, looking far into the distant for any glimpse of us to come back to Him and accept his relentless pursuit of us. God doesn’t love us because of what we do or do not do, He loves us despite that!
Scripture lets us know that, seven times a just man shall fall but he would rise up each of those times (Proverbs 24:16). I once read an analogy of a man’s conversation with God. The man had left God and wandered away, and God was on his trail, finally chasing him down to his last known address. When God saw him, He asked, “Son, why do you keep running away from me.” The man replied, “Well, I always seem to fail you and always keep asking for forgiveness. I thought this time maybe I should just leave and never come back, so that when I fail, you wouldn’t need to deal with the disappointments I bring to you.” God told him, “I am never tired of hearing your apologies, just come come and we would sort it out.” The man said, “but God what if I fall again,” and God responded, “I will pick you up!” The man said for the second time, “what if I fall again.” God replied, “I will just pick you up again.” The man said for the third time, “God you do not understand, what if I keep falling and falling and falling...and fall some more.” God’s response was what finally broke him, “then I will just keep picking you up and up and up and up...and up some more.”
Brethren, we are promised in Hebrews 13:5, that God will never leave us nor forsake us. The Greek translation of “never” here is “ou me” and in Greek, it intensifies a double negative strengthening connotation of “never ever” that is used in a positive light. In English language, “ever” is used to reinforce and strengthen the use of “never.” It reinforces the notions of “not in any chance” or “don’t even think about it for a second.” God is reassuring us that it is not a possibility that he leave us nor forsake us. Remember, Jesus took our place when he said, “Father, why have you forsaken me.” The Father forsook the son so that He would never ever have to forsake us too because Jesus already bore that for us.
It is great to know that God is constantly reaching out to us, chasing us down through all our failures and doubts. He tried throughout many generations to seek out ways He can permanently restore us to himself until He found the long lasting solution: Jesus! Who is the way to the Father. Beloveth, let us be encouraged that regardless of the situation, we can always come back to Jesus: the author and the finisher of our faith. The One whose burden is light and whose yoke easy and the One who we can cast all of our cares on!