Are We There Yet? Devotional by Unitedናሙና

TITLE: On Repeat

LYRIC: ‘Every time I come running, I find grace on repeat. You welcome me with open arms, no matter where I have been’ - On Repeat

SCRIPTURES:

• Luke 15:11-32 NIV

DEVOTIONAL:

The story of the prodigal son is one of the most famous passages of Scripture and so it can be easy to take it for granted. However, within its popularity and frequent retelling, there is timeless truth present in this parable. Often we can see ourselves as the prodigal or lost son. We think of our Father in Heaven as somewhat merciful, but maybe we struggle to see to what extent His mercy goes. As the story depicts, the son comes to his senses after a season of wild living. As the son makes the journey back home, an incredible event takes place: the father runs to meet the son on his way back. This may seem unspectacular in our modern context, but for Jesus’ Jewish audience, this would be unthinkable—it would have been simply outrageous. In the first century, Jewish men did not run. In order to run, the father would either need to hitch up his tunic or take it off altogether to avoid tripping. This would have revealed his bare legs. In this ancient context, a Jewish man showing his bare legs would have been incredibly shameful. This is what makes this particular part of the parable so powerful. The father was unconcerned with any shame associated with this action, his heart was simply for restoring his son. This story reveals many things to us, but in particular, it teaches us about the heart of God for his children. The Book of Hebrews echoes this parable when it says, “... let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1-2 NLT). The parallels here are helpful. Jesus, like the father in the parable, disregards the shame associated with restoring God’s children—his heart longs to show us mercy. Like the prodigal son on his journey home, we are also on a journey, and we too have been met along the road with open arms.

This is why we can pray and sing the powerful confession, “Every time I come running, I find grace on repeat. You welcome me with open arms, no matter where I have been.” May we never forget the powerful promise of God’s mercy. Lamentations 3:22-23 (ESV) says “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”