More Than Just A Hug

The sermon I watched yesterday was on the prodigal son parable. What God was telling me through this message has been on my mind since watching it yesterday. The preacher did a good job of breaking down the meaning and significance of each item the father ordered his servants to put on the prodigal son when he came back.

Through this message, God was really showing me how I struggle off and on with good and bad days. There are days where I feel confident and my faith is strong. Then there are other days where I feel as far from Him as the prodigal son. I feel like my wavering trust and faith has to disappoint God so much that I can't even pray for the miracle I want and need. 

The prodigal son parable is a good reminder about how God actually responds to us vs. how I think He responds. The son didn't feel worthy to come back and figured being a hired servant was the best he could do for his father. 

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." 

This is a great picture of God’s grace by itself, but His grace doesn't stop at just running to us and embracing us. 

Luke 15:22-24 "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 now found. And they began to be merry." 

God’s grace doesn't stop at running to us, embracing us and taking us back when He shouldn't. Although, this would be more than enough, God still orders the best robe of righteousness to be put on us, a ring, which the pastor explains in those days signified the estate owners power. The son would wear the ring into town and purchase items with nothing more than a stamp of the ring in wax. Not because of him but because his fathers power and wealth. Lastly, sandals on his feet. Back then, only the estate owner and his family wore sandals, not the servants. So, putting sandals on his feet was another gesture of showing everyone he was a son. This parable does a good job reminding me that just like the son thought his best case scenario was to be hired as a servant, the Father goes above and beyond what we think He will do for us. 

Ephesians 3:20 "Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever amen" 

Satan's oldest trick in the book is to get us to doubt what God says or get us to believe God will only do so much when we claim His scripture promises. A parable straight from Jesus' mouth tells me this was important and something He wanted to break down where we could easily understand His love for us. He wants you and I to understand His grace doesn't stop at “welcome back” and it definitely doesn't stop at what limitations the devil gets us to believe are there. 

God isn’t a disappointed Father standing there ready to crush our dreams and prayers like I often get led into feeling at times. Its easy to let doubts that creep in feel like "spiritual maturity”. Like me trying to accept that God’s will may look different than mine, which is true but I have to be careful to not let my doubts limit what I believe God is able to do in my life. 

Doubt is doubt, no matter how I try to spin it. Especially when a seed planted by Satan gets me to place limitations on what I think God is willing to do for me. I was convicted today that accepting His will can be different than mine, looks more like continuing to pray for the breakthrough while expecting there's no reason why He wouldn’t give it. The minute I pray and feel like He won't answer or He might do something less than I’m asking Him for,  I have to remind myself not to let Satan whisper lies into my heart about my Father’s love for me.

 Matthew 7:7-12 "ask and it will be given to you  seek and you will find  knock, and it will be opened to you. for everyone who asks receives and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it I'll be opened. or what man is there among you who if his son asks for bread will give him a stone? or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? if you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! therefore whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the law of the prophets." 

God wants to give you more than just a hug, so don't believe the lies Satan is telling you about whatever breakthrough you're asking for. God has proven more faithful than any of Satan's lies and seeds of doubt. We get to wear the robe, the Fathers ring of authority, and His sandals on our feet showing who we are to Him. 

Hebrews 4:16 "let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."