Respecting the Father

By Michael Youssef, Ph D.  03/31/21

In the parable of the prodigal son (see Luke 15:11-32), we learned yesterday that the love of the father drove him to extreme measures just to demonstrate his love for his son.

In the father’s willingness to humiliate himself, we see the image of the cross. God was willing to humble Himself to come to earth, not as a king but as a lowly servant to mankind. The God of the universe was willing to be spat on, disrespected, and crucified to draw us home again to His loving arms. Though He had the power to control the very tides and stars, He gave us the freedom to stay in the far country or come home again to live in the security of His love and protection.

Some people today are indifferent to God, almost as if He were dead. But God is very much alive and present whether you acknowledge Him or not. He longs for us to live in close fellowship with Him every day.

This Easter, consider if you are respecting your heavenly Father. Some people take all the resources and blessings of God to spend selfishly on sin and pleasure. In the process, they lose their most precious blessing—a relationship with the Father

Prayer: Father, I pray that You would reveal to me if I have become distant from You. Reveal any hardness or dissatisfaction in my heart. Help me to return to You, knowing that You are always there ready to run to meet me. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him” (Psalm 103:13).