The Joy of the Long Walk Home: Day 6 of Joy
He embraces you.
So he got up and went to his father. But while the son was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. — Luke 15:20 (CSB)
The Prodigal Son had measured himself in a worldly manner, believing that joy was found in his inheritance, his autonomy, and the high-energy “far country.” But when the resources ran dry and the famine hit, he found himself battered by a storm of his own making.
The turning point isn’t when the son gets his life back together; it’s when he comes to his senses. He realized that even the lowest position in his father’s house was better than the highest position in the far country.
But the real unsinkable joy of this verse belongs to the father.
While the son was “still a long way off,” the father saw him. The father was watching. He was scanning the horizon with a diligence that only love can sustain. He didn’t wait for a formal apology or a polished message from his son. He didn’t wait for the son to prove he had changed. In that culture, a grown man running was undignified, but the running father was carefree regarding his own reputation because his joy was tied to restoration.
Our joy is anchored in the truth that we don’t have to “walk on waves” back to God perfectly. We simply have to turn our face toward Him.
The 90/10 Rule of Restoration
[read this article to learn more about the 90/10 rule]
The 10%: The “far country” you’ve wandered into—the mistakes, the wasted time, and the distance you feel from God.
The 90%: The Father’s character. He is watching, He is filled with compassion, and He is running toward you before you even say a word.
When you focus on the 10 percent of your failure, you stay in the mess of the pigpen. When you focus on the 90 percent, the Father’s heart, you find the strength to get up and start the walk home. Your joy isn’t in your ability to be a “perfect” son or daughter; it’s in having a Father who refuses to let you stay lost.
Is there an area of your life where you feel like you are “a long way off” or hidden in a “far country?” Today, don’t wait until you have the perfect words or a better track record. Just turn your heart toward the Father. Acknowledge the distance and then visualize Him running toward you. Experience the joy of a welcome that you didn’t have to earn.
Prayer: Father, thank You that You never stop watching the horizon for me. I confess that I often try to find joy in my own “far countries,” only to find myself empty and stifled. Thank You for the unsinkable joy of Your grace. Thank You for running to meet me even when I am covered in the dust of my mistakes. I am coming home to You today. Amen.
View all messages in the series at: www.faithsaves.us/t/joy-series-faith-saves-us