Hello, Prodigal Child
Growing up I've always had a huge heart for the lost in the broken. I've always had an ache for those who are following what the world says they should be, because if it wasn't for my grandparents that honestly would be me. When I think about who I would today I wonder if I would be that girl who was reaching for love in all the wrong places. I wonder if I would be that teen mom raising a child on her own. I wonder if I would be the one getting high to cover up all the pain. At nineteen I can say that that is not me because when I felt the most unlovable my grandparents reached out their loving arms and took me in. They said "I don't care where you have been, we will love you through it all." It makes me wonder where the other "unlovables" would be if we just opened our arms and say that we will love them through their pain.
So many times we look at the lost as a "lost cause". We count them as "too far gone". We close our doors to them because to us they seem "unreachable". It seems "impossible". When if we were just to pray for them. If we give them to the one who hand paints each sunset, that He would do the impossible. There is no one that is "too far" from God's grace. His ways are higher than our ways. He is "...Close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit" Psalm 34:18.
There is someone who my family has been praying over for thirty years. Yes, thirty years. Thirty years with no results. Thirty years of back sliding. Thirty years of pain, sadness, and running. After my years of praying (close to five) I gave up. I started doubting God. I thought it was hopeless. More or less, I thought they were hopeless. That was until one of their friends made a good point, "They have beat every odd to be dead right now. They have wrapped their car around poles and walked out with nothing more than small bumps and bruises. If they didn't die then, God must have a plan in mind that we don't know yet. He's not done with them yet." I never thought of it that way. This weekend one of the speakers said "Impossible is where God starts." Once we see that to be true we start seeing God as a BIG God, we start seeing that His power is mighty.
In Luke 15:11-32 Jesus tells the parable of the prodigal son. There was a father who had two sons, one of which asked for his portion of the estate before the father was dead. From there he left, lived a lavish life, had wonderful parties and lived wild. But sooner or later he came to need. He spent all his money, and was eating out of pig troughs. Finally, the son came to his senses and decided to go back to his fathers house as a hired servant. When he was still a long distance off his father saw him and he ran to him with open arms. He invited him in. He through him a party, and his joy overflowed.
Notice how the father greeted him with open arms. He threw a celebration that his sons eyes were opened. God did that for each and every one of us who chose His grace over our desire.
Some of us might know a prodigal child. Some of us might be a prodigal child. If you know someone who is a prodigal child, pray that the Lord will grab their heart. Pray that the Lord will soften your heart and break your heart for what breaks His. Pray for a heart of understanding and compassion. A heart of patience and love. And above all else, pray for an opportunity to show them God's love.
If you are a prodigal child I pray that the Lord will take hold of your heart. I pray that you will see that there is so much more. I pray that you will see God is a sovereign God who loves and cherishes you. I pray that you will see that the hands that sculpted the most beautiful mountain ranges created your inner being. He knew your name before your parents did. You are loved, you are cherished, you are not worthless. You are more than your past says that you are. You can be made new if you call upon His name. If you turn your eyes to Him, He will deliver you. You will never be too far to be loved. "And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:5-8. You do not need to clean yourself up to come to the Lord. Come as you are. Bring your broken pieces. You are wanted. You can be redeemed. You can have joy.
Come as You Are - Crowder
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HELQyZNnR-g
Matthew 11:28
"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
There is someone who my family has been praying over for thirty years. Yes, thirty years. Thirty years with no results. Thirty years of back sliding. Thirty years of pain, sadness, and running. After my years of praying (close to five) I gave up. I started doubting God. I thought it was hopeless. More or less, I thought they were hopeless. That was until one of their friends made a good point, "They have beat every odd to be dead right now. They have wrapped their car around poles and walked out with nothing more than small bumps and bruises. If they didn't die then, God must have a plan in mind that we don't know yet. He's not done with them yet." I never thought of it that way. This weekend one of the speakers said "Impossible is where God starts." Once we see that to be true we start seeing God as a BIG God, we start seeing that His power is mighty.
In Luke 15:11-32 Jesus tells the parable of the prodigal son. There was a father who had two sons, one of which asked for his portion of the estate before the father was dead. From there he left, lived a lavish life, had wonderful parties and lived wild. But sooner or later he came to need. He spent all his money, and was eating out of pig troughs. Finally, the son came to his senses and decided to go back to his fathers house as a hired servant. When he was still a long distance off his father saw him and he ran to him with open arms. He invited him in. He through him a party, and his joy overflowed.
Notice how the father greeted him with open arms. He threw a celebration that his sons eyes were opened. God did that for each and every one of us who chose His grace over our desire.
Some of us might know a prodigal child. Some of us might be a prodigal child. If you know someone who is a prodigal child, pray that the Lord will grab their heart. Pray that the Lord will soften your heart and break your heart for what breaks His. Pray for a heart of understanding and compassion. A heart of patience and love. And above all else, pray for an opportunity to show them God's love.
If you are a prodigal child I pray that the Lord will take hold of your heart. I pray that you will see that there is so much more. I pray that you will see God is a sovereign God who loves and cherishes you. I pray that you will see that the hands that sculpted the most beautiful mountain ranges created your inner being. He knew your name before your parents did. You are loved, you are cherished, you are not worthless. You are more than your past says that you are. You can be made new if you call upon His name. If you turn your eyes to Him, He will deliver you. You will never be too far to be loved. "And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:5-8. You do not need to clean yourself up to come to the Lord. Come as you are. Bring your broken pieces. You are wanted. You can be redeemed. You can have joy.
Come as You Are - Crowder
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HELQyZNnR-g
Matthew 11:28
"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
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