Unveiling the Father’s Heart of Grace

“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. 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.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.”

Luke 15:20–24

Do you want to see how your heavenly Father responds when you have failed? Then I encourage you to read the entire parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11–32. Better yet, if you are feeling stressed and worried about something, take time to pull away from life’s hustle and bustle and simply meditate on Jesus’ words in this story and let His message to you soak in.

When Jesus shared the story of the prodigal son, all the Jewish people who heard Him would have been familiar with the condemnation and punishment (death by stoning) that the law specified for a stubborn, rebellious son (Deut. 21:18–21). However, instead of the law they were familiar with, Jesus revealed the Father’s heart of grace and forgiveness in the new covenant. Hallelujah!

Did the son sin against his father? Yes, most definitely. But did the father heap guilt and condemnation on his son before he received his son? No, he did not. Did it matter to the father that his son’s intention for returning home was simply because he was hungry? No, it did not.

When the prodigal son “was still a great way off,” his father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his son’s neck and kissed him. What a wonderful picture of God’s heart of love!

This is an eyewitness account of what God the Father is like from Jesus Himself! See how He described God’s response to those who have sinned.

How is it that the father saw his son even when he was still a great way off? That’s because the father had been waiting and longing for his son to return. He must have kept his eyes on the horizon daily, hoping that each day would be the day his beloved son returned home.

Beloved, can you see God’s heart of love for you even when you have failed Him? You just have to take one step toward God and your loving Daddy in heaven will run toward you with no condemnation.

He wants to embrace you, kiss you, and lavish you with His love and blessings! He is waiting to clothe you with the robe of righteousness, put the signet ring of authority back in your hands, and shod your feet with the sandals of right standing. He wants to reinstate you, wash you, and throw a party because you came home!

Our God is a God who will run toward you with no condemnation! You can come boldly to God today and experience the intimate love of your heavenly Father in a deep and personal way as never before. I pray that this experience will heal, renew, restore, and transform you in a spectacular way because His love for you is nothing less than spectacular!

This devotional is taken from the book Reign in Life—90 Powerful Inspirations for Extraordinary Breakthroughs.