When prodigals return home, they return with their whole heart! This is my own testimony of a heart that has been sought out by mercy, accepted by grace, and redeemed by the perfect love of Jesus Christ!
To those with painful pasts:
THOSE WITH PAINFUL PASTS: Never Forget Where God Scooped You Up From!!
This morning at church, we revisited the story of the prodigal son. A story I can relate to deeply.
So many came to the altar this morning to βreturn homeβ β those who had walked away from God, as well as those who have always attended church but have been far away from God in their hearts. There was a powerful conviction on the word this morning and God was drawing hearts to Himself. π
As I stood there praying silently for returning βprodigalsβ, God had already been working on my own heart. He had been reminding me of the deep dark pit He rescued me out of.
In that moment, I experienced something Iβd never felt as strongly as I had before then.
At my core, I was trembling, because I felt both a deep grieving sorrow of a life lived completely consumed by sin, and at the same time I felt an overwhelming GRATITUDE of my now-transformed heart, that has been made ALIVE in Christ Jesus!
I pray I never forget the depths of that sorrow. It really humbles me quickly to know where life apart from Jesus leads me.
The genuine compassion my heart feels to know there are those who are still in that hopeless prison⦠AND YET, the redemption story is now my REALITY and my JOY!
All because of the Love of Jesus!!
I know some people have different stories (none is more important or more redeeming than another) but some of us went full-speed-ahead in the wrong direction, and the consequences of sin about took us out.
Some of us know the depravities of hanging out with the pigs, and like The Prodigal Son, we have felt unworthy of anything good in life.
We have been told countless times how undeserving and unworthy we are. Even shame had kept us running from our only source of safety found in the arms of God.
The enemy has gone to great lengths to crush these beloved ones, whom Jesus left the 99 to FIGHT for! (Read the parable here)
When we were still enemies of the cross of Christ, Jesus chose to die in our place.
May we never become complacent and stagnant in our gratitude to a God a who never stopped loving us and fighting for us. May I never forget the day God called this prodigal return home to place of safety, peace and hope!
I fully expect the future Church to be full of RADICALLY REDEEMED, pulled from the fire, downright rowdy and Happy-To-Be-Alive children of God!!
We will be those who are shining with the glory of a life transformed by God, and a RADIANT LIGHT that pierces through the very darkness that could not overtake them. The radiantly shining Beams of Hope that shines out from them, IS Jesus Christ the Righteous One!!βοΈ
To those who have lived the closest thing to hell this earth has to offer.. who lived through the valley of the shadow of death and darkness. Weβve come out KNOWING the world (life apart from Jesus) has nothing good to offer us.
We know that life lived IN Christ is JOY and PEACE in the Holy Spirit! Legit HOPE can be deposited into a broken heart and life. FREEDOM weβve never known!
And we can testify to a LOVE that is so relentless that it chases down a wayward heart that spit in Godβs face. Godβs Love is truly so humble.
The Love of God Makes the Difference!
The Love of God is the most powerful thing β as simple as it sounds, but when it is received simply and wholeheartedly, it is life-changing and it makes all the difference for eternity!! π
This morning my heart grieved for the painful past that a prodigal son or daughter couldβve been living with, and at the same time, all that was within me -with every cell in my body- screams that Jesus is worthy to give it all for!!
Jesus is worth returning to with your whole heart.. in fact, thereβs no other way.
We know there is no satisfaction, no lasting love, no place of peace and nothing more exciting like a life abiding in the Love of Jesus! Nothing this world offers compares to Jesus!
There is NO love like how Jesus loves me. Life with Jesus literally keeps getting better and better! π
When a prodigal returns home they have a testimony that cannot be taken from them!! They have a testimony that truly God changes hearts and minds!!
May those who have been RADICALLY REDEEMED by the Lord say so β and may they give their ALL for the glory of God to be revealed in this earth.
TRULY, JESUS IS THE TREASURE OUR HEARTS ARE SEARCHING FOR!! π
May our hearts be for prodigals return home to their place of Sonship in Jesus Christ!
May we not forget who God has been to us and what He has done for us! In Jesus name!
