God knows where you are!

Luke 15:20 – 32

Very simple this morning, we are all familiar with the story of the prodigal son. If you have been in church or around the church for any length of time you have heard the story. There is really only one part of the story I want to stress this morning.

In verse twenty the narrative says when the boy came to himself, he decided to go home. As we continue to read, something is said that we could easily miss the whole impact if we are not careful. “When he was still far away his Father saw him and had compassion on him and ran to him fell on his neck and kissed him”

We don’t know how long the boy was gone, could have been months or years. It was long enough to squander the fortune his Father had given him. Regardless of the length of time he was gone, the Father was still looking for him. Can you imagine the Father’s heart ache day in and day out knowing what the world had in store for his son, yet having to let go and allow his son to make those mistakes. Our heavenly Father is still doing that today.

Notice the Father never moved. When the boy was ready to come home, he knew exactly where to go, the Father stayed where He was. We too can easily find our way back when we stray off of the path. God will be there just where we left Him.

The most important part, how did the Father see him coming? He was always looking, hopeful that His son would return. When we stray, God does not turn his back on us in fact the exact opposite is true, He is always looking anticipating our return. The Father day in and day out keep looking down the road until one day his anticipation was fulfilled, when he saw a familiar figure off in the distance. He did not wait for his son to come to Him but he ran to him to bring him home.

We can never go so far away from the Lord that he does not know where we are and is waiting lovingly for us to return. We often believe like the young man in the story that our Father will never completely accept us but God is always there waiting for us, longing for us to return. He knows the pain in the world; He felt the cruelty of this world through Jesus death. He wants us to avoid this pain, but when we choose to follow after it, He is always waiting for our return.

This story is a love story, a story of God’s patience and grace. You may feel at times, as if you are far away from God but this story shows us of His great long enduring love for us. I hope today you realize a little better how much God really loves you and that you are never too far away.