Until Your Prodigal Comes Home

God Loves Your Prodigal

Please take time now to read Luke 15 thoughtfully. I believe the Lord placed this chapter in His Word especially for you. Here, you can see three ways the Lord works in the lives of the lost—relentlessly, meticulously, and patiently. These three parables reveal a passionate, loving God who has purposed to redeem the lost. You can be confident that He is working to draw your child to Himself.

God’s Love Is Relentless—the Lost Sheep

In the parable of the lost sheep, we see Jesus as the Good Shepherd. The shepherd leaves His ninety-nine sheep to go out into the wilderness to look for the one lost sheep until He finds it, and He is relentless in His search. In light of this fact, is there any place where your child can’t be reached? Jesus is in the wilderness right now, pursuing your child. It makes no difference whether your child is in another country, in a crack house, residing in a mansion, or living with you in the same home—Jesus, the Good Shepherd, is relentlessly pursuing him to bring him home. Jesus doesn’t give up; He stays in the wilderness until He finds him. The Word of God says this is so.

God’s Love Is Meticulous—the Lost Coin

The second story Jesus tells in Luke 15 shows us how meticulous He is. Jesus tells us about a woman who has ten silver coins and then loses one of them. At that time, a silver coin was called a drachma and was the average wage for a day’s work. Since this coin is of great value to her, the woman carefully searches every inch of her house for it. The coin is small, about the size of a quarter, which makes the search difficult. She lights a candle, then diligently sweeps the floor until she finds it. When she does, she celebrates with her friends and neighbors.

How often have you prayed about what you want the Lord to do in your child’s life, asking Him to do it in a specific way? It’s reassuring to know that your prayers don’t have to be perfect—they are not the blueprint by which Jesus executes His rescue. Notice that the woman in this parable lights the candle and uses the broom to sweep. In the same way, Jesus knows which tools to use and when and how to use them in order to bring your child home.

Jesus is meticulous in His search; your prodigal cannot escape from God—there is no place where he can hide. He cannot lose himself in a crowd or blend into the dirt of the world. The Lord will search for your child until He finds him. The Word of God says this is so.

God’s Love Is Patient—the Lost Son

The last story in Luke 15 is about the prodigal son. Note that the father doesn’t try to talk his son out of leaving or attempt to stop him in any way. He gives the son his inheritance, as he requested, and then allows him to leave. The father has no way of knowing what his son is up to, and he never goes out to search for him. Instead, he waits patiently, with expectancy, for his son’s return. He shows his expectant faith by always looking out over the horizon to see if the silhouette of his son is in sight.

For us as parents, this story is an excellent example of expectant waiting; it also illustrates our heavenly Father’s patient love. God the Father waits for your prodigal to come home, knowing that his Son, Jesus, is out there relentlessly and meticulously pursuing him. Our Father knows that sometimes your child has to go through some things, maybe even be broken, in order to learn the lessons which will make him come to his senses—or come to himself, as the Bible says.

Notice that when the son finally comes home, the father runs to him, which was considered undignified behavior in those days. The father kisses his son, gives him the best robe, and puts a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet. Then the father kills the fatted calf, which is usually saved for sacrifices on feast days. He then throws a great party because all is well—his son is home! Immense joy comes from the transformation of a prodigal’s heart into the heart of a son. It’s described powerfully by the father in Luke 15:24: “For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.” The Lord brings the dead to life; this powerful analogy appropriately describes the depth of change that is possible in your prodigal’s heart.

These three parables, told by Jesus Himself, reveal how precious your child is to God. They illustrate the lengths to which He will go in order to rescue your child, yet they provide only a glimpse of the depths of His love and mercy and His relentless, meticulous, and patient work to bring your prodigal home.