I have felt like the Prodigal Son’s brother
God sweetly reminded me of this story
I knew my heart and I knew God knew my heart
I’m always honest with Him
I know I can’t hide anything from Jesus
I gave up on that long ago
He is not here for the well, but for the sick:
When Jesus heard it, He saith unto them,
They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick:
I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Mark 2:17
God is constantly looking for those who will come to Him
He also loves His faithful ones
I heard a dream that someone had about the harvest
He dreamt that there were people he knew in the church
who were not happy about the new people coming in
They would not help to disciple them, wouldn’t even pray for them
Then I heard a man who had a dream about the Prodigal son
the man said God was angry
The man was rebuking people who felt the way the brother felt
These two above situations are displeasing to God,
but God also has a way of reaching each of us with His love and compassion and to help us to understand His heart
It is by experiencing His grace that we can extend that grace to others
The most important part is that our hearts are open to His loving correction
He is there to love us and help us to understand His ways and His thoughts
Jesus is such a kind and gentle shepherd
He knows how it can feel to not feel appreciated,
honored or even acknowledged
Listen to God’s heart toward the Prodigal’s brother, from Luke 15:
Jesus completely understood how he was feeling
and did not push that aside:
Now his elder son was in the field:
and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing.
And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.
And he said unto him, Thy brother is come;
and thy father hath killed the fatted calf,
because he hath received him safe and sound.
And he was angry, and would not go in:
therefore came his father out, and intreated him. verses 25-28
The closeness of this father and his son is evident
The Prodigal’s brother was not afraid to tell his father how he felt:
And he answering said to his father,
Lo, these many years do I serve thee,
neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment:
and yet thou never gavest me a kid,
that I might make merry with my friends:
But as soon as this thy son was come,
which hath devoured thy living with harlots,
thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. verses 29-30
The gentle, loving Father heard his son’s heart and put his concerns at ease:
And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.
It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad:
for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again;
and was lost, and is found. verses 31-32
God knows what we’re thinking, what’s in our heart
To understand His ways is to face our own fleshly ways in humility
If we hand our bitter thoughts to God, He will show us His love and grace
and we may understand His ways so much so,
that we might even be able to demonstrate His love to others