If you are familiar with this Blog, you will know that I am inspired greatly by music.

I awoke with a song playing in my spirit the other day. The song is titled “When God Ran” by Benny Hester. There’s also a rendition by the gospel singing group Phillips, Craig & Dean. It’s a very beautiful song that contains a very powerful message. The message of the song is the story of The Prodigal Son as told in Luke 15:11-32. It’s the story being told by the prodigal son about his father’s reaction when he returned home.

We all know that the father’s action in that story really represents how God reacts to us whenever we return home to Him.

But the beauty of the song and the story is that the father didn’t just receive his son back home. Verse 20 says:

“ But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.”

The father saw his son approaching, and ran out to meet him.

He ran.

It is only, tremendous excitement, pure joy and deep, profound love that that causes a person to run to receive someone else.

There were no questions asked. There was no explanation necessary. He was just happy that His son had come home.

Brethren, God receives us in the exact same manner, when we come home. With pure joy. With tremendous excitement. With a deep and profound love.

Luke 15:7 says:

I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

Also

Matthew 18:12-14 says:

“How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.”

It is a joyful thing for God and all the heavens when one of His children, previously gone astray, returns home. It is a complete victory for the cause of Christ! We should never treat it lightly.

This Friday, as the world celebrates “love” with the celebration of Valentine’s Day, let us take a moment to reflect on God’s love for us, His children.

Let us really sit quietly and consider it: consider how He has expressed it in days of old: consider how He expresses it today: consider how He has shown it in the lives of others; consider how He has shown it in your life.

This love that God has for us is not a simple love. It is not a love that is based on feelings and emotions. But, the only way we can even begin to understand this love, is when we take the time to get to know the God that loves us so.

The lyrics of hymn that I love read:

How deep the Father’s love for us,

How vast beyond all measure

That He should give His only Son

To make a wretch His treasure

The first bible verse that we usually learn as children or new babes in Christ is John 3:16 which says

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

We cannot understand or appreciate God’s love without having an understanding of who He is; why He is; how He is.

This understanding does not come from a carnal knowledge or intelligence. It comes from one source; and this one source happens to have been the greatest show of God’s love for us:

Knowing Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 3:17-19 says:

That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

So, brethren, it does not matter what you have done. It does not matter how far you have strayed or wandered away. It doesn’t even matter if you were upset with Him and left in anger, doubt or fear.

All God cares about is us desiring, with a contrite heart, to come back home.

He’s sitting by the window. Watching. Waiting. As you approach, He will see you, and He will run to you, receive you in His arms, kiss you and forgive you.

Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. To the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

As Always, share your thoughts that you might encourage your brethren.

In Christ.

The handmaid at His feet.