Revelation of the Father – Loving & Compassionate

You may feel lost in a sea of people but remember -He knows you by name. He knows your story. He knows your pain. And He loves you the same. Reinhard Bonnke

In the High Priestly Prayer, Jesus says in John 17:6, “I have revealed You to the ones You gave me from this world.” The vagueness, the elusiveness of who God, the Father, was to His disciples and to us, before we came to know Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, became a bright reality. It became a reality when Jesus, who had all authority in heaven and on earth, did the will of the Father by revealing His character, the essence of who He is, to His followers. When Jesus revealed who He is to His followers, He was in essence saying to them, “This is who the Father is.”

In Luke 15:11-32, Jesus relates the beautiful parable of the prodigal son. In this parable, we see the heart of the Father revealed to us. It tells the story of a son who demands His inheritance from his father, but ends up squandering everything. He is left feeling alone, guilty and ashamed. In his bankrupt state- literal and emotional, he decides to go home to his father, where he is prepared to work as a slave (Luke 15:11-17). When he approaches his home, he sees, to his utter amazement, that his father is looking out for him. Luke 15:20 says,

“So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.”

God’s Hand of Love & Compassion

The father in this parable is our Heavenly Father. Our loving, kind and compassionate Father. His love will never let us go. No matter what we’ve done. No matter how far we have strayed from Him. No matter how unfaithful we’ve been, His unstoppable, eternal love for us is always there. When we feel that we have sunk so deep in our despair, guilt, shame and hopelessness, we have the assurance that God’s love is deeper still. His hand of mercy and compassion is always reaching out to us. He beckons us to reach out to grab His hand so He can lavish His love on us. This is how the father in the parable lavished his love and compassion on his son:

“But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.” Luke 15:22 (NLT)

The father clothed the son in rich garments and prepared the best meal for him. He celebrated him, because he was his son. Because he reached out and grabbed hold of his father’s hand. If this is what an earthly father will do for his child, then surely our Heavenly Father will do immeasurably more for us. Our Heavenly Father is waiting for us to give Him our weary souls, our lostness, our despair, so that He can give us His abundant life. His richer, fuller life.

O love that will not let me go, I rest my weary soul in You;
I give You back the life I owe, That in Your ocean depths its flow may richer, fuller be.

George Matheson

Reflection

Are you feeling weary, lost, alone and in despair? I want to encourage you to look up and see the Father’s hand extended to you. He wants to celebrate you, lavish you with His rich love, and give you His abundant life.

Prayer

Thank You, Lord Jesus, for revealing to us who the Father is. Lord, You see my weary soul. You see my despair. Help me, Lord, to grab hold of Your extended hand so that I may know Your rich love for me and receive the abundant life that You promise me in Your Word. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.