"While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion ..."
Take some time today to dig out your checkbook or bank statements or your calendar or PalmPilot showing your daily appointments and commitments. Study them. You're looking at some of the things that show your sense of values. Where you spend your money and time tells a lot about what you think is really important and valuable.
The theme of these devotions for September and October has a great deal to do with what God thinks is important and valuable. Simply put, God goes all out to seek people in order to have a deep, loving relationship with them. God wants followers who care about the same things he cares about.
Jesus' parables in Luke 15 tell us about the deeply loving, caring heart of God. In this section of Scripture we find three powerful stories with the same theme: something precious and valuable is lost, and it simply must be found and restored! We sense the pain of deep loss; we are caught up in the search and desire for restoration; we feel the thrill of rediscovery; and we experience the great joy of celebrating with a big party.
You can always tell what you value by what you do. Does your heart beat in tune with God's heart? Will you go out of your way to join God's mission of love to those who aren't home with the Father yet?
Lord, thank you for coming to look for us long before we started searching for you. Use us to be your restoring presence today among people who've lost their way. Amen.
See God's love, power, presence, and purpose in your life every day!