Pastor Barry's  "Chapter & Verse"  Day 4

January 4;   Luke 15:20;    59/260(VI);   ‘You Are Loved’

Luke 15:20 "And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.

The Parable of the prodigal son should be a great comfort to ‘backslidden’ Christians.  The prodigal went back into the world looking for a good time and as always happens, when the funds ran out so did the ‘friends’ and the parties.  Almost everything, other than Jesus, disappoints.  We were created to have a relationship with the Lord Jesus and until that relationship begins, life makes little or no sense.  Good times cannot last because those who do not know the Lord do not have the Christ like character or ability to sustain meaningful relationships.  A backslidden Christian may have the character qualities necessary, but often never use them.  The prodigal son, humiliated, finally ‘came to his senses,’ knowing his father’s servants were treated better than he was being treated.  He went home disgraced and condemned.  The Word tells us even when the prodigal was a great way off his father saw him, had compassion, ran to him and kissed him.  A great way off can mean that we have gotten into such ungodly things that the devil tells us God the Father could never forgive us.  Because of the sacrifice of Jesus, we are never too far away for the Lord not to see us and never too far gone in sin for us not to be forgiven and restored.  In this passage, he father restored all that the prodigal had lost and held a party, rejoicing that his son was home.  It is never too late to come home, you are loved and God the Father will never condemn you.  Wherever you may be right now, come on home, Father is looking for you.