1 00:00:11,400 --> 00:00:14,220 Speaker 1: Hello and thank you for listening to Your Daily Bible Verse, 2 00:00:14,360 --> 00:00:17,820 Speaker 1: the podcast that examines one verse each day to learn 3 00:00:17,840 --> 00:00:21,380 Speaker 1: more about God and His will for us. I'm your host, 4 00:00:21,770 --> 00:00:26,130 Speaker 1: Jessica Finrokel. And after this short word from our sponsor, 5 00:00:26,570 --> 00:00:44,830 Speaker 1: we'll dive into today's Bible verse, Luke Today's Bible verse 6 00:00:44,950 --> 00:00:48,790 Speaker 1: is Luke chapter 15, verse 20. And he arose and 7 00:00:48,850 --> 00:00:51,710 Speaker 1: came to his father. But while he was still a 8 00:00:51,930 --> 00:00:55,510 Speaker 1: long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion 9 00:00:55,650 --> 00:01:00,520 Speaker 1: and ran and embraced him and kissed him. I love 10 00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:04,200 Speaker 1: that verse, don't you? Have you ever dealt with a 11 00:01:04,240 --> 00:01:07,980 Speaker 1: difficult situation with a coworker or close family member and 12 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:11,330 Speaker 1: the feelings of sorrow or frustration linger with you as 13 00:01:11,370 --> 00:01:15,789 Speaker 1: you drive home? Me too. At first, it's as if 14 00:01:15,910 --> 00:01:18,110 Speaker 1: we don't really see where we are. We're just driving, 15 00:01:18,569 --> 00:01:22,209 Speaker 1: letting the emotions rumble and tumble inside us, and that 16 00:01:22,270 --> 00:01:27,860 Speaker 1: conversation just continues in our minds. Then, our attention awakens 17 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:32,290 Speaker 1: to the familiar landmarks, Maybe it's the exit, the water tower, 18 00:01:32,490 --> 00:01:36,060 Speaker 1: or in my case, a grain elevator. Or maybe we 19 00:01:36,100 --> 00:01:38,179 Speaker 1: start to see the beauty of the road we've traveled 20 00:01:38,220 --> 00:01:41,440 Speaker 1: a hundred times. Maybe the leaves are turning or that 21 00:01:41,540 --> 00:01:46,060 Speaker 1: tree looks especially beautiful today. There's a feeling of comfort 22 00:01:46,120 --> 00:01:49,760 Speaker 1: that washes away the sorrow and frustration the closer we 23 00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:53,390 Speaker 1: come to home. But you see, home isn't always just 24 00:01:53,470 --> 00:01:55,990 Speaker 1: a place to park our cars or lay our heads. 25 00:01:56,830 --> 00:01:59,390 Speaker 1: Sometimes it's the place where we know we are wanted 26 00:01:59,450 --> 00:02:03,490 Speaker 1: and loved. In Luke chapter 15, Jesus uses a parable 27 00:02:03,570 --> 00:02:06,650 Speaker 1: to tell us what God's heart looks like when someone 28 00:02:06,710 --> 00:02:13,050 Speaker 1: turns toward him. God's invitation is, come home. Today's verse 29 00:02:13,310 --> 00:02:16,790 Speaker 1: is from the parable many Bibles title, The Prodigal Son. 30 00:02:17,790 --> 00:02:20,470 Speaker 1: Jesus tells the story of a young man whose one 31 00:02:20,530 --> 00:02:24,290 Speaker 1: goal in life was to do as he pleased. The 32 00:02:24,410 --> 00:02:27,700 Speaker 1: son desired to pursue his own pleasure and to be 33 00:02:27,860 --> 00:02:34,389 Speaker 1: free from from his father's authority and restraint. Disillusionment, grief, 34 00:02:35,070 --> 00:02:39,980 Speaker 1: and regret were the results. In verse 17, Jesus said 35 00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:43,959 Speaker 1: he came to himself, and it was his misery which 36 00:02:44,080 --> 00:02:48,790 Speaker 1: prompted him to see clearly. Once the prodigal son had 37 00:02:48,830 --> 00:02:52,270 Speaker 1: his eyes opened, he didn't try to figure out how 38 00:02:52,290 --> 00:02:55,960 Speaker 1: to improve his living conditions with the pigs. He didn't 39 00:02:56,000 --> 00:02:59,459 Speaker 1: blame his father, brother, friends, or even the farmer who 40 00:02:59,540 --> 00:03:05,080 Speaker 1: owned the pigs. The prodigal son recognized his misery without 41 00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:09,780 Speaker 1: focusing on it and instead focused on his father. So 42 00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:13,300 Speaker 1: he prepared a speech and set out to return home. 43 00:03:14,800 --> 00:03:18,119 Speaker 1: But let's take a look at the prodigal son's father. 44 00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:21,760 Speaker 1: Today's verse tells us while he, the son, was still 45 00:03:21,880 --> 00:03:25,169 Speaker 1: a long way off, His father saw him and felt 46 00:03:25,230 --> 00:03:29,590 Speaker 1: compassion and ran to embrace and kiss him. The Greek 47 00:03:29,669 --> 00:03:33,880 Speaker 1: term in today's passage denoting compassion means to have to 48 00:03:33,910 --> 00:03:38,740 Speaker 1: the bowels of yearning. Compassion is the feeling with and 49 00:03:39,020 --> 00:03:43,980 Speaker 1: for others. The son had rejected the father, but the 50 00:03:44,100 --> 00:03:48,200 Speaker 1: father kept watching and waiting for his son. And when 51 00:03:48,280 --> 00:03:54,020 Speaker 1: he saw his beloved son, he ran to him. Jesus 52 00:03:54,080 --> 00:03:59,340 Speaker 1: describes the father's response to highlight an important truth about God, 53 00:03:59,590 --> 00:04:04,430 Speaker 1: our father. God has compassion for spiritually lost people and 54 00:04:04,490 --> 00:04:07,930 Speaker 1: his love for them is so great. They are constantly 55 00:04:08,050 --> 00:04:11,830 Speaker 1: on his mind. He grieves over them and waits for 56 00:04:11,850 --> 00:04:16,480 Speaker 1: their return. But many people want what the prodigal son wanted. 57 00:04:16,500 --> 00:04:20,000 Speaker 1: And honestly, it robs them of a rich and rewarding 58 00:04:20,060 --> 00:04:23,380 Speaker 1: life that is only found in a right relationship with God. 59 00:04:24,740 --> 00:04:28,120 Speaker 1: Before those who are lost can come to God, they 60 00:04:28,180 --> 00:04:32,100 Speaker 1: must be awakened to their true condition of separation from God. 61 00:04:32,940 --> 00:04:36,560 Speaker 1: Like the prodigal son, anyone who is far away from 62 00:04:36,620 --> 00:04:40,599 Speaker 1: God can humbly return to their Heavenly Father and admit 63 00:04:40,640 --> 00:04:45,260 Speaker 1: their waywardness. You see, God loves the spiritually lost person 64 00:04:45,350 --> 00:04:51,270 Speaker 1: and desires his or her spiritual salvation. When those who 65 00:04:51,310 --> 00:04:55,710 Speaker 1: are far from God come home to him, is ready 66 00:04:55,750 --> 00:05:01,120 Speaker 1: to receive with forgiveness, receive them with love, compassion, and 67 00:05:01,160 --> 00:05:06,240 Speaker 1: the full rights as his children. Compassion is the character 68 00:05:06,300 --> 00:05:10,320 Speaker 1: of God, and Jesus used this parable to teach us 69 00:05:10,860 --> 00:05:15,180 Speaker 1: about the depths of God's feelings toward us. Then, as 70 00:05:15,240 --> 00:05:18,410 Speaker 1: those who have come home to God, we can then 71 00:05:18,529 --> 00:05:23,670 Speaker 1: cultivate compassion in our heart for others. God's joy is 72 00:05:23,770 --> 00:05:28,070 Speaker 1: immeasurable when someone returns to him. If you find yourself 73 00:05:28,190 --> 00:05:31,450 Speaker 1: lost and far from God today, it's not too late 74 00:05:31,529 --> 00:05:35,440 Speaker 1: to come home. He is watching and waiting for you 75 00:05:36,100 --> 00:05:41,260 Speaker 1: with open arms. Return to him and receive his compassion 76 00:05:41,339 --> 00:05:45,620 Speaker 1: for you. Today, if you've turned away from God, turn 77 00:05:45,680 --> 00:05:48,830 Speaker 1: back to him. Or if you know someone who is 78 00:05:48,910 --> 00:05:52,859 Speaker 1: far from God, Let's stop and pray for them right now. 79 00:05:53,600 --> 00:05:57,480 Speaker 1: Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you that you love us. 80 00:05:57,600 --> 00:06:01,099 Speaker 1: Thank you that you lead with compassion. Lord, thank you 81 00:06:01,120 --> 00:06:03,940 Speaker 1: that you want to be known as a compassionate God 82 00:06:03,990 --> 00:06:08,089 Speaker 1: who is watching and waiting for us to come home. 83 00:06:08,110 --> 00:06:12,770 Speaker 1: So God, we come home to you. Lord, if someone 84 00:06:12,830 --> 00:06:15,680 Speaker 1: is out there today who is far from you, Lord, 85 00:06:15,710 --> 00:06:19,600 Speaker 1: we celebrate as they turn away from their own ways 86 00:06:19,680 --> 00:06:21,760 Speaker 1: of living and choices and turn to you and say, God, 87 00:06:21,800 --> 00:06:24,620 Speaker 1: I just want to come home. And for those who 88 00:06:24,680 --> 00:06:28,380 Speaker 1: are burdened by a friend or a loved one or 89 00:06:28,400 --> 00:06:33,370 Speaker 1: a coworker who is so far from God, Lord, we 90 00:06:33,430 --> 00:06:37,770 Speaker 1: pray for that person, that they would awaken to their 91 00:06:37,850 --> 00:06:42,050 Speaker 1: misery without you and that they would decide, I want 92 00:06:42,089 --> 00:06:46,969 Speaker 1: to come home. Thank you, Lord, that you are our home. 93 00:06:47,450 --> 00:06:50,369 Speaker 1: Thank you, Lord, that we can trust in you. Thank 94 00:06:50,450 --> 00:06:55,479 Speaker 1: you how you care for us. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.