“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.” Luke 15:20 NKJV
“Sometimes the picture that most needs to change is the picture you have of how God sees you.” — Dr. Daniel LeBlanc
Day 25: See the Father Running
Today we are going to do something different. Instead of simply reading a Bible story, I want you to step inside of it and allow the words of Jesus to paint a God Imagination within your heart.
Become quiet for a moment and ask the Holy Spirit to guide your imagination. Now step into the story and see the Father the way Jesus reveals Him.
You are standing in your father’s house, but something inside you is restless. You want something different out of life, and you feel like you are missing out. Entitlement begins rising within you, and soon it gives way to rebellion.
You want your inheritance, but you no longer want your father telling you how to live. You want freedom on your terms, so you demand what belongs to you and leave home without even saying goodbye. Your mind is filled with dreams of places you have never been and pleasures you have never experienced.
For a while, life feels incredible. You have money, friends, and the freedom to do whatever you want, but eventually everything begins to change. The money disappears, and the people you thought were your friends disappear with it. Then famine comes, and suddenly you find yourself alone, hungry, broken, and ashamed.
Eventually, you are feeding pigs just to survive, and you are so hungry that even their food looks good. Sitting there in the consequences of your rebellion, regret floods your heart. “How did I get here? Why did I leave? Why did I treat my father this way?”
Then you remember home.
You remember the love, provision, peace, and sense of belonging you once took for granted. Most of all, you remember your father’s goodness and how generously he treats everyone under his roof. The realization becomes painful because your father has been good to you, and you have done him wrong.
Then something begins stirring inside you. Somewhere beneath the shame and regret, a glimmer of hope begins to rise, and suddenly the words of Jesus come alive: “But when he came to himself…” Luke 15:17 NKJV.
You are coming to yourself.
For the first time, you see your rebellion for what it really is. The problem is not your father or the home you left behind. The problem is the direction you chose, and now you genuinely want to change.
You are tired of running, tired of rebellion, and tired of making excuses. Something within you is ready to surrender, and you make a decision: “I am going home.”
You stand up and begin walking toward the father you once walked away from. This is repentance. It is more than feeling sorry about where your choices have taken you. Repentance means turning around.
As you walk home, shame begins speaking. “You do not deserve to go back. You have gone too far. Your father will never forgive you.” You wonder if he will even allow you onto the property, so you begin rehearsing your confession: “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son.”
Then you see home in the distance, and your heart begins pounding as fear and hope collide within you. Suddenly you notice someone coming toward you, but he is not walking.
He is running.
It is your father.
For a moment you wonder if he is coming to send you away, but as he gets closer, you see his arms are open. Jesus says, “When he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran.” Luke 15:20 NKJV.
Your father has been looking for you.
You expect anger, but you see compassion. You expect crossed arms, but you see open arms. Before you can explain everything you have done, your father reaches you and throws his arms around you.
You are filthy and smell like the place where you have been living, but he does not seem concerned about the dirt. He is concerned about you.
Through your tears you begin confessing your sin, but then your father does something you never expect. He calls for the best robe and places it around your shoulders. He calls for a ring and places it upon your hand. Then he puts shoes on your feet and announces that there is going to be a celebration.
You come home hoping to become a servant, but your father restores you as his child.
Then you hear the words you never thought you would hear again: “For this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” Luke 15:24 NKJV.
Your sin is real. Your rebellion is real. Your repentance is real. But now you are discovering something greater than all of them. The Father’s love is real too.
Stay in that picture for a moment. Feel His arms around you, see the robe covering your shame, look at the ring on your hand, and hear the celebration beginning around you.
Maybe religion has painted a picture of God standing at a distance with His arms folded, waiting to punish you. Jesus paints a different picture. He shows us a Father watching the road, moved with compassion, and running toward His returning child.
Let that become the picture within your heart.
Welcome home, child.
Prayer
Father, I see my rebellion differently when I see it against the goodness of Your love. I do not want to make excuses or keep running from You. Give me the grace to repent, surrender what needs to change, and come home.
Holy Spirit, replace shame with the picture Jesus gives me today. Help me see the Father running toward me, receive His embrace, and live as His child. Thank You, Father, for Your indescribable love. Amen.
Today’s God Imagination
Close your eyes and return to the road. See the Father running toward you with open arms, feel His embrace, and hear Him call you His child. Do not hurry through the moment.
Then ask, “Father, what do I need to leave behind so I can walk closer with You?” Listen to His voice, surrender what He shows you, and take another step toward home today.
