When God Waits and When He Chases

The story of the prodigal son is the third of three parables in Luke 15 that reveal God's heart for the lost. 

In the first two parables, the shepherd chases after the lost sheep and the woman hunts carefully for the lost coin. Christ came to seek and save the lost, and these parables inspire us to do the same (Luke 19:10; Matthew 28:18-20).  

But the third parable is different. The son doesn't wander off like a lost sheep or roll carelessly under a table like the lost coin. He chooses to leave, and his father doesn't chase him. 

There are times when people intentionally reject their loved ones and their Christian background. In fact, there is currently a very strong movement of "prodigals" doing this (Ex-vangelicals).

In order to return, they must come to the end of themselves and recognize their spiritual poverty. The father of the prodigal understood this. 

The prodigal needed to experience the consequences of his sins without his father's help in order to come to his senses.

So, if you have loved ones who've willfully rejected their faith, pray and wait. And when they return, be prepared to run out to meet them!

I encourage you to do the Bite Size Bible Study related to this story. It takes you one step further and answers the question: Why did the Father of the Prodigal Chase One Son and Not the Other?.

These devotions are helpful when we are waiting for a prodigal to return...or waiting for anything in our lives: We Need It: Patience and Romans 12:12: Patience, Joy, Prayer.

Be sure to read 5 Things the Prodigal Understood to more fully understand what happened in the prodigal's heart before he returned home.