“And he [the prodigal son] 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. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I
have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be
called your son’” – Luke 15:20-21
You well know that you cannot change someone’s heart. Oh, you can love them and want the best for
them, but the decision to change, to repent, is all up to them. Many of you
reading this have someone in your life that you deeply desire that they would
see the error of their ways and have a change of heart. That person might even
have been you at some point in your life – or perhaps you are still there.
I believe the father knew where his son was and what he was doing. But he did not go and get him but waited for
the work of repentance in the boy’s heart. The father must have been searching
the horizon, perhaps every day, in the hope that his son would return. Oh, how he wanted to embrace his son and
restore him. But, the father waited for repentance. And then, one day, he saw
his son crest the hill. Returning home. Not so he could take what he could get
and then leave to continue in his sin. But to be restored having a heart change.
“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a
contrite heart—These, O God, You will not despise.” – Psalm 51:17
The son’s heart was changed – humbled – broken in his realization of
what he had done and what he had given up. Convinced
he was doing what was right for him, only to realize that what he had chosen was
wrong for him. He returned with the
expectation of at best being treated like a slave, but was received as a son –
restored.
That is how it is with us and God.
That is how it is supposed to be with us and each other. But that kind of restoration cannot happen
without true repentance. That is what we
should hope for. That is what we should
pray for. That is what we must wait for –
just like God did with us.
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