Daily Devotionals
november 29, 2021
This is the first week of Advent. Our devotions this week are on the theme of waiting.
But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
Luke 15:20
The parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:11-32 tells about the extravagant love of a father for both of his sons. One son loyally worked for his father and yet resented the attention given to his brother. The other son, the one we call the “prodigal” (the reckless or wasteful one), spends all of his inheritance and then begs for his father to receive him back. Jesus told the parable so that we might know that God welcomes all people home with a gracious, life-giving love. But did you catch the part in the parable about waiting? When the son returns home, the text tells us that the father ran to him, greeted him, and kissed him. I wonder how many days, weeks, even years the father waited for that moment. He must have longed for his son to return. He must have prayed for his safety and the opportunity to be reunited with him. But he couldn’t control that return. He simply waited for the goodness and restoration for which he hoped. Amy Grant sang a song called “The Prodigal” about this very idea, seen in these words from the chorus: “I'll be waiting.I may be young or old and gray,Counting the days,But I'll be waiting,And when I finally see you come,I'll run when I see you.” The father was waiting. Longing. Hoping. Expecting. And then the chorus adds this tag line: “And even ifYou never do return,Still I will have learnedHow to love you better.” We don’t usually think of God as one who waits. But I like the image that God is waiting for me to turn to Him so that He can love me better. As we wait during this Advent season, I pray that the holiness of the waiting may shape us and mold us to be a little more like our Heavenly Father, who waits for us. NOTE: If you would like to join us as we engage in spiritual formation practices on the theme of “Waiting in Expectation,” register here for this event on December 2 at 7:00 pm.
For Reflection
Have you ever thought of God as One who waits? How does that image shape your view of God?
For what are you waiting, hopefully, expectantly this Advent season?
Prayer
God of Waiting, shape my heart this Advent season. I wait for You to do something new, something fresh in my life and in our world. Help me learn to love while I wait and thus be more like You. Amen.
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