by David Brenneman
"And He said, “A man had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.’ So he divided his wealth between them. And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living. Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him. But when he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men.” ’ So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly 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 fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate. Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. And he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring what these things could be. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.’ But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him. But he answered and said to his father, ‘Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends; but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’ And he said to him, ‘Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.’ ” Luke 15:11-32.
Eden, he still sees the flowers there
Noah kept safely in his care
Moses walks the red sea part
David, after his own heart
Every moment in history
Still there in his mind so it amazes me
He remembers to forget what mercy forgave
The past that I regret is forever washed away
The king who knows it all could easily recall and yet
He remembers to forget what mercy forgave
Calvary, he still smells that dusty air
And years past he can hear that one thieve's prayer
That hillside where we broke His heart
The earth shook and the world with dark
It's all still fresh in his mind
But wonder of all wonders, it overwhelms me every time
He remembers to forget what mercy forgave
The past that I regret is forever washed away
The king who knows it all could easily recall and yet
He remembers to forget what mercy forgave
The king who knows it all could easily recall and yet
He remembers to forget what mercy forgave
He remembers to forget what mercy forgave
-The Hoppers (c) 2010.
It's a story taught and preached by hundreds throughout the last 2,000 plus years for sure. But to me, the connection between the song the Hoppers brought out and seeing it in the Prodigal Son story happened last night.
The part many may not get was how harsh the son who left was being. It wasn't as simple as saying he wanted his inheritance and was going to leave. He essentially told his Dad he would rather that he was dead so that he could go do what he wanted with what was to be his.
Rather than fight him on this he gave him what he wanted. Seeing that he wouldn't be persuaded otherwise.
But the key part is that his father never stopped praying for and hoping for his son to return.
Stop right there. This too is each of us in God's eyes. His invitation to come home has been spread far and wide in probably every language and in most every way on our planet. Whether or not we listen and realize all He's wanting is for us to turn around and come to Him just as we are...that's on us.
Now this part of the father's reaction is what I had missed. His father chose to forget the harsh cruel words his son, his own flesh and blood, said to him.
Inheritance or not, his changed heart was what his father latched onto.
We often don't consider and perhaps you have never considered that when you came to Christ for salvation that part of that imputed righteousness that is Christ that the Father sees when He sees you...is God choosing to forget all our unrighteousness.
He knows it all and chooses to forget it. Casting our sins as far as the east is from the west...remembering them no more.
It's mind blowing to me. Last night as well in our group we remembered another song "When God Ran". A few have taken to singing it but my favorite version is by Phillips Craig and Dean.
The song never fails to choke me up. Never fails to probably cause my heart to skip a beat.
Almighty God the great I am
Immovable rock omnipotent powerful
Awesome lord
Victorious warrior commanding king of kings
Mighty conqueror and the only time
The only time I ever saw him run
Was when
He ran to me
He took me in his arms
Held my head to his chest
Said my son's come home again
Lifted my face
Wiped the tears from my eyes
With forgiveness in his voice ge said
Son do you know I still love you
He caught me by surprise when God ran
The day I left home
I knew I'd broken his heart
And I wondered then if things could ever be the same
Then one night
I remembered his love for me
And down that dusty road ahead I could see
It was the only time
It was the only time I ever saw him run
And then
He ran to me
He took me in his arms
Held my head to his chest
Said my son's come home again
Lifted my face
Wiped the tears from my eyes
With forgiveness in his voice ge said
Son do you know I still love You
He caught me by surprise
And he brought me to my knees
When God ran I saw him run to me
I was so ashamed all alone and so far away
But now I know that he's been waiting for this day
I saw him run to me
He took me in his arms
Held my head to his chest
Said my son's come home again
Lifted my face
Wiped the tears from my eyes
With forgiveness in his voice
I felt his love for me again
He ran to me
He took me in his arms
Held my head to his chest
Said my son's come home again
Lifted my face
Wiped the tears from my eyes
With forgiveness in his voice
He said son
He called me son
He said son do you know I still love you
He ran to me (When God ran)
(I saw him run to me)
And then I ran to him
(When God ran)
When God ran
-Philips Craig and Dean (c)1999
Knowing my own sin depraved heart and mind as I do...knowing that in that instant that I asked Jesus to save me...that He ran to me...took me in His arms...head my head to His chest and declared that I had come home.
That overwhelms me every time.
I can't understand why He loves me so when I know how, throughout my life, I wasn't the righteous man I should have been. I have been that Prodigal Son. Perhaps more times than I can recall.
Everyone is a single step away from Jesus running to them. Ready to keep His promises to them. Life can and will be harsh. But those saved in Christ are never alone. We don't need to lean on our own understanding. He's ready to lead, to provide, to handle life with us and for us.
We need to come to Him and simply ask Him to save us. To be the forgiver of our sins and the leader of our lives. Jesus said that we must come as a child. Simply believe. Believe that which the Gospels proclaim. He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life. Was cruelly punished for our sins and the sins of mankind on a cruel cross. Died for our sins, arose 3 days later conquering sin, death and the grave. Now the risen Lord Jesus Christ. He died for me. He died for you. More importantly He arose to become our Savior and Lord.
We can and likely will struggle with the knowledge of our past sins. We can and should be comforted by knowing He chooses to forget.
There's been times when I thought I was oh so far away from God. It's something that I have learned and know to be true...it's not just some saying that I said earlier. I have never been more than 1 step away from His loving embrace. He will always be ready to run to anyone who's turned their hearts to Him.
Think about these things today.
All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.
New American Standard Bible
(C) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation.
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