Joy to the WorldSample

Joy in the Father’s Heart

Boating question: When is the right time to adjust your rudder?

Boating answer: As soon as you realize you are off course.

One of the hardest times for me to find joy is when I know I’ve sinned. I can easily sit in a pool of defeat and feelings of worthlessness and wonder how God could ever love me or forgive me.

But thankfully, that is not how God works.

In Luke 15, Jesus is teaching through some parables. This time, He uses stories of a lost sheep, a lost coin, and a lost son.

It’s the last one that always catches my attention.

Like a spotlight in a play, the story focuses on the son as he leaves the safety of his father’s estate and ventures into a world he thinks he can handle, going in whatever direction his desires pull him, only to lose everything he has.

It reminds me of David in 2 Samuel 11, where he commits adultery and murder.

Talk about a mess.

But it’s here where David cries out to his Father and says, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation…” (Psalm 51:12).

Like a lost son coming home, David falls into the open and loving arms of his heavenly Father, knowing He is the safest place for him to be.

Yes, David did not escape all the consequences of his sin. But one thing was clear – his Father loved him and forgave him.

You see, the Parable of the Lost Son is less about the son’s choices and much more about the father’s heart. The point isn’t how far off the son was but how wide his father’s arms were when the son adjusted his rudder and went home, only to be surprised as his father hugged him in his loving arms.

Both of these biblical stories show that the Father’s heart always wants to create restoration and joy, no matter how far we are coming from.

But it’s up to us to adjust our rudder and return to Him. Let’s just not wait till we are in the pig pen before we make that decision.

This week of Advent, we’ve been reflecting on God’s joy from many different angles, all summed up in the baby born in Bethlehem all those generations ago. May the joy that God promises be ours as we continue through the Christmas season.

Prayer: Thank You, Jesus, that Your love for me is bigger than my mess. Help me to adjust my rudder early so that I know Your love much sooner than the consequences of the pig pen. Amen.

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you can adjust your rudder today and start heading back towards the loving arms of your Father? Don’t wait for the pig pen before you do!

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