Many years ago, I heard Elisabeth Elliot open her Gateway To
Joy radio show with these comforting words of Scripture, ‘You are loved
with an everlasting love.’ That's what the Bible says. ‘And underneath are the
everlasting arms.’ I came to a place in my life where I wanted, more than
anything else, to know and love God more. God is so inconceivably good. He’s
not looking for perfection. He already saw it in Christ. He’s looking for
affection. That’s why every lasting change will invariably be a change of
heart. He’ll even supply the heart, if we’ll ask Him…Lord Jesus, give me a
heart to know you and love you more, believing that I am accepted in the
Beloved.
Henri Nouwen, the famous author, once gave a postcard print of Rembrandt’s painting pictured below, Return of the Prodigal, to individuals who came to hear him speak. He asked them to look at the hands of father—one hand looks more masculine and strong, and the other hand looks more feminine and gentle. Recently, we attended a Chris Tomlin concert and heard a short message during the concert by pastor Louie Giglio on the Scripture Luke 15. He started his message by stating that the word “prodigal” means “lavish,” although the son was lavish in his lifestyle, the father was also lavish in his love, grace, mercy, forgiveness, and acceptance. What a wonderful way to illustrate the unconditional love God has for all of us prodigals, full of grace and truth, His open arms saying, You are My Beloved...
Henri Nouwen, the famous author, once gave a postcard print of Rembrandt’s painting pictured below, Return of the Prodigal, to individuals who came to hear him speak. He asked them to look at the hands of father—one hand looks more masculine and strong, and the other hand looks more feminine and gentle. Recently, we attended a Chris Tomlin concert and heard a short message during the concert by pastor Louie Giglio on the Scripture Luke 15. He started his message by stating that the word “prodigal” means “lavish,” although the son was lavish in his lifestyle, the father was also lavish in his love, grace, mercy, forgiveness, and acceptance. What a wonderful way to illustrate the unconditional love God has for all of us prodigals, full of grace and truth, His open arms saying, You are My Beloved...
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| Rembrandt's Return of the Prodigal |
For I am persuaded,
that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor
things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature,
shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our
Lord.—Romans 8:38-39
For God so loved the
world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not
perish but have eternal life.—John 3:16
This is love: not that
we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for
our sins.—I John 4:10
We love because He
first loved us.—I John 4:19
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Linking up with Holley Gerth as an encourager.
Linking up with Holley Gerth as an encourager.
