God's Longing for You, His Child
«When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt. But the more I called them, the more they went from me; they sacrificed unto Baalim, and burned incense to graven images.»
«And he said, A certain man had two sons: And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.»
Promise and fulfilment
The Old Testament proclaims God's deep love and longing for His people, even when they turn away from Him and wander far off. It is the announcement of an unwavering fatherly love that never gives up.
This unwavering fatherly love is fully realised in Jesus Christ. In the parable of the prodigal son, we see how the father eagerly awaits his child's return and runs to embrace him with open arms as soon as he spots him in the distance. Here, God's nature as the loving Father, who rejoices over the return of His child, is revealed.
Let these verses remind you to take your own Bible in your hands, read them there again and, if you wish, continue a little further. Holding God's Word in your hands also gives you a precious moment away from the digital world.
Do not read the Bible in one long run, but passage by passage: one text, unhurried, asking the Holy Spirit for understanding. Whoever tries to swallow everything at once loses the overview. Whoever takes one passage each day will see the whole picture over time.
The connection
In the Old Testament, we see God calling Israel, His beloved child, out of bondage, yet Israel turns away. This painful experience of turning away and loss is mirrored in Jesus' parable of the prodigal son, where the son deliberately separates himself from his father and journeys to a distant land. Here, Christ reveals the universal human tendency to stray, but also the boundless love of the Father, which endures despite everything.
Reflection
Yesterday, we reflected on being set free from the burdens of the past. Today, we delve deeper into the very heart of this liberation: God's boundless love, which never lets us go, even when we drift away from Him. Imagine how God calls you, how He has freed you from constraint – perhaps from habits, fears, or mistaken beliefs. And yet, how often do we choose our own path, seeking our happiness far away, in things that ultimately leave us feeling empty?
It is a profoundly human experience to get lost, to seek our own way, and in doing so, to stray from our origin. The parable of the prodigal son is not just a story from long ago, but a mirror for our own lives. How often are we like this son, who believes he must find his happiness apart from his father? We demand our 'share', our autonomy, and only much later realise that in doing so, we lose ourselves.
But the beautiful truth is this: God is not like a human who holds grudges or forgets. His love is one that waits, that watches out. It is a love that does not give up, but quietly hopes and, at the slightest movement on our part, runs to meet us. This love is true liberation, for it embraces us, no matter how far we have wandered, and welcomes us home again.
Prayer
Dear Father, I thank You for Your endless patience and love. I recognise how often I turn away from You, go my own way, and often get lost in the process. Yet You never give up on me. You constantly call me back to Yourself, just as You called Israel. I ask You, help me today to feel Your longing for me. Let me see Your open door and Your outstretched arms, which always lead me back to Your loving home. Amen.
The thread
This week, our theme is 'The Prodigal Son', and we are seeing how God's longing in the Old Testament (Hosea 11) finds its fulfilment in the Father's joy in the New Testament (Luke 15). Yesterday was about liberation; today is about the cause of that liberation: God's tireless love that comes to meet us. Tomorrow, we will see how this turning back becomes a celebration.
God's love is like a father waiting for you and running to meet you – come home today.
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