When God Ran

"...But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with pity and tenderness [for him]; and he ran and embraced him and kissed him [[]fervently]..."
           --Luke 15:20b Amplified

Almighty God, The Great I Am,
Immovable Rock, Omnipotent, Powerful,
Awesome Lord.
Victorious Warrior, Commanding King of Kings,
Mighty Conqueror and the only time,
The only time I ever saw him run,
Was when

He ran to me,
He took me in His arms,
Held my head to His chest,
Said "My son's come home again!"
Lifted my face,
Wiped the tears from my eyes,
With forgiveness in His voice He said
"Son, do you know I still love You?"

He caught me By surprise, When God ran

"When God Ran"...a song made popular back in the '80s by the trio Phillips, Craig, and Dean. A powerfully poignant song, the lyrics (in my humble opinion) stir to life the story of the Prodigal Son. How? Well...

The day I left home,
I knew I'd broken His heart.
And I wondered then, if things could ever be the same.
Then one night,
I remembered His love for me.
And down that dusty road, ahead I could see,
It was the only time,
It was the only time I ever saw Him run.
And then

He ran to me,
He took me in His arms,
Held my head to His chest,
Said "My son's come home again!"
Lifted my face,
Wiped the tears from my eyes,
With forgiveness in His voice He said
"Son, do you know I still love You?"

He caught me By surprise, When God ran

The story of the Prodigal is undoubtedly one of my favorite New Testament parables. Jesus sets the stage by introducing a father of two sons. The younger of the two goes to his father one day and says this: "Father, give me the part of the property that falls [to me]." (v.12) Did you catch that? "Give me the part of the property that falls to me." In other words, he was asking for his inheritance, something that usually did not fall to anyone until after the death of one or both parents. In other other words, the young man was saying, "Pops, I wish you were dead!"

Now, the father would have been in the right to have held back the boy's inheritance, something he very well could have done. Scripture tells us he did just the opposite. The author of Luke writes that the father divided his estate between his sons.

What happens next? Verse 13 tells us the young man took his wealth and traveled to a far off country. From there he lives loosely recklessly spending his fortune on sloppy and wild living. He was living what he believed to be "the good life."

Ah! but good times rarely last because we learn next he spent everything he had. And when he spent is last the country he resided in was hit with famine. This same young man who had been living high on the hog before now suddenly found himself so low he had to reach up to touch a snake's belly. Not only were his means and resources gone but his "friends" were all of a sudden nowhere to be found. He was alone. 

What happens next depicts the level of bottom he had hit because he finds himself taking a job slopping hogs for one of the local farmers. No riches, no food, his belly burning from hunger, the scraps for the hogs are beginning to look like a Gordon Ramsey banquet. So much so he finds himself sharing their trough. Was it enough to keep him from starving? For the moment. Was it enough to keep him satisfied? Absolutely not. 

It was in the hog trough that the young man had an "AHA" moment. Verse 17 says he "came to himself." Another way of saying he came to his senses. "How many hired servants of my father have enough food, and [even food] to spare, but I am perishing (dying) here of hunger!

I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight.

 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; [just] make me like one of your hired servants." (vv. 18-19)

And back he went to his father's house. I love what comes next. The father didn't wait for his son to reach the front door. He didn't wait for him to cross the county line. He saw his son off in the distance and...don't miss this...ran to him. He ran to meet him! No judgment. No condemnation. No berating or belittling. Just compassion. Mercy. Unconditional love. 

I learned something precious from reading of the father's response to his son coming home. While Scripture doesn't come right out and say this, I believe that the father was watching for his son.

God the Father watches for us! 

God the Father waits for us to come from our wilderness! 

When we find ourselves face down in our own hog trough He is there and His arms are open wide. His heart bursts as He watches and waits to see us making our way back to Him. And when we do, He does not wait for us to approach us. He runs to meet us, His arms open even wider, scooping us up in His gentle embrace, weeping with us, crying "My child has come home!" He doesn't ask what you did, He doesn't care what you did; what matters is that you are home! Like the Prodigal's father, there is no condemnation. No judgment. What there is is grace, mercy, compassion, and unconditional love. 

He ran to me,
He took me in His arms,
Held my head to His chest,
Said "My son's come home again!"
Lifted my face,
Wiped the tears from my eyes,
With forgiveness in His voice He said
"Son, do you know I still love You?"

He caught me By surprise, When God ran

Are you tired of wandering?

Have you gotten your fill at the trough?

It's time to come home...