The younger son in the parable of the Prodigal Son lived at home in a place of love and safety. Yet he wanted to see the attractions of the world outside home. When nothing lived up to his expectations he wondered if it would be possible to return home, even if it meant living there in disgrace and judgment. Eventually, he realizes he can no longer go on as he is, and to his great surprise he finds his father running out to meet him, welcoming him home with love and forgiveness. And that’s the point of the parable. Jesus wouldn’t have told it if it wasn’t a true picture of God’s love for those who have “gone away” and now want to return home, however badly they have been living. Christians who have known Jesus as Savior can drift away from the faith, not always deliberately but through finding attractions of the world more interesting or involving, and giving up their time of daily Bible reading and prayer. If this is you, will God receive you back? Will He also run out to meet you with love, like the father in the parable? The answer is yes, and here is how.
