Knock! Knock!

This morning as I was expressing my praise and gratitude over a prodigal who had found his way back home, the Spirit led me to the parable about such a man in Luke chapter 15. It's familiar passage but with the Good Book being "alive" one can always glean new revelation and insight, even from the most familiar storys. As I read, I thought about how so many of us at one time or another reach a time and place in our lives where we want to go our own way, live our own lives, do our own thing. ... self confident, self seeking, self gratifying..... just full of "self". And as it is recorded in the parable, so goes real life. Foolishness and pride are a 'deadly' combination and inevidably lead to ruin, or as better described in Luke's account, the pig pen. A Jewish man feeding swine - it was the lowest possible form of humiliation. But our Father is so loving and merciful in that when we have hit the bottom of the bottom, He is still willing and desirous to knock at the door of our hearts. (Revelation Ch. 3) It is sad and unfortunate that often times it takes a place of utter desperation before we hear His knock...before we are willing to open the door to Him. Then again, spiritual deafness and rebellion are just some of the ugly fruit of "pride". In verse 17 it says the prodigal "came to his senses". He heard it. The knock. The knock of compassion. The knock of conviction. The knock of discipline. The knock of revelation. He came to the awareness of the ugliness of his sin and his desperate need for salvation and opened the door that had been shut for so long. In his repentant state, he heads home. Verse 20 is so beautiful. It says "while the son was far off, his father saw him..." He saw him because He was looking for him! Oh, thank You Father that while I was "far off" you saw me - You were looking for me.... You continued to knock. And for the prodigals we interceede for, we are encouraged in knowing that no matter how far off they are, they are in Your sights and You are knocking on the doors of their hearts! Verse 20 goes on to say that the father welcomed his son with compassion and hugs and kisses - not ridicule, condemnation and punishment. Heavenly Father, Your mercy is truly everlasting, Your love, unconditional. As the prodigal confesses and repents, his father immediately cloaks him with the best robe, puts a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet, signifying complete and total restoration back into the family- no questions asked. And the celebration begins!

That young man who I was thanking God for earlier... Well, it's his testimony to share, but the end of his story is that he is loving and serving the Lord Jesus faithfully and even ministering to those who have also lived the prodigal son story. Praise the Lord! I personally,will be Eternally grateful that my Father kept His eyes on me and continued to knock during my pig pen years and that He graciously welcomed me back home with opened arms. And while I don't play in the pig pen these days, I'm certainly grateful for those times He continues to knock any and every time I let the door shut in other ways......