Swallow Your Pride

~~~ Micah 7:14-15, 18-20 ~~~ Psalm 103 ~~~ Luke 15:1-3, 11-32 ~~~

The Lord is kind and merciful.

If we but take the first step back to God

 we will experience his mercy and kindness.

This message of God's mercy is delivered over and over again 

to us yet we continue to find it hard to believe

 especially when it pertains to us.

Who is there like you, the God who removes guilt

and pardons sin for the remnant of his inheritance;

Who does not persist in anger forever,

but delights rather in clemency...

God searches out the least of us

 inviting us to come experience 

what his mercy can do for our soul.

This magnificent mercy should 

make us love God all the more deeply,

but I fear it is too often overlooked.

Our thinking is that is makes for a good story,

but what does that have to do with me.

We have one such story in the gospel 

today of the Prodigal Son.

This story is probably one of the most 

well-known quoted from the Bible. 

We love this story it is filled with such idyllic scenes.

Do you believe that such a setting is possible?

Can you place yourself either in the place of the child or the father?

Sometimes we are the child...sometimes we must be the parent.

He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.

Notice here it is the father who rushes out

 to meet his son in the distance.

Before the father can see the son though

the son had to swallow his pride.

The son had to make the difficult decision 

to return to his father's home.

Lent is the acceptable time for us to do the same...

Swallow our pride and come back to our Father.

The father in today's gospel held a great celebration.

There was much rejoicing because the son admitted 

his selfishness which led to his poor decision.

This exactly what we are invited to do during this Lenten season,

The father does not ridicule the son.

The father does not belittle the son.

The father does not even try to make the son feel guilty.

The Lord is kind and merciful.

Pray for God to soften your heart 

so that you can overcome whatever is keeping 

you from returning back to the Lord.

There is no better time than NOW.

Coming home is filled with so many Blessings.

You will experience his overwhelming 

Peace.

Harvested by Angels

~~~ Exodus 33:7-11; 34:5B-9, 28 ~~~ Psalm 103 ~~~ 

~~~ Matthew 13:36-43 ~~~

 The Lord is kind and merciful.

God described himself to Moses

 as being a merciful and gracious God...

slow to anger, rich in kindness.

Precisely because of who God is he is constantly

 reaching out to us...

waiting patiently 

for us to seek forgiveness.

He knows we are frail...he knows that sometimes 

we fail to be that person he created.

God never created us to be perfect,

but it does not mean we should not keep trying.

In the end when we come before the Lord the angels 

will have already separated us from the others.

God has appointed his angels to be his harvesters.

Both the weeds and the grain are allowed

 to grow up together in the same field.

Of course this translates into 

the meaning of good and evil people existing side by side.

The evil ones pretend to blend in with the good ones,

but on judgement day the angels,

given power by God,

will take away the good from the evil.

Both will be taken before the Lord

to be judged...

The Lord is kind and merciful,

while also being just.

Blessed to be given the time now

 to come before the Lord to seek his forgiveness.

Then the righteous will shine like the sun

in the Kingdom of their Father.

Whoever has ears ought to hear.

As long as you still have one more breath to take

 there is time to return to the Lord.

The gamble is yours as to whether 

you should wait or do it now.

I encourage you to do it now.

~~~Peace~~~

Who is There Like You?

~~~ Micah7: 14-15, 18-20 ~~~ Psalm 103 ~~~ Luke 15: 1-3, 11-32 ~~~

"Who is there like you, the God who removes guilt

and pardons sin for the remnant of his inheritance;

Who does not persist in anger,

but delights rather in clemency,

And will again have compassion on us,

treading underfoot our guilt?

You will cast into the depths of the sea all our sins..."

The Prophet Micah was not privileged to know of the story of the incredibly generous father of the Prodigal Son. Which is today's gospel from Luke.

Who is there like you?

We could ask that question every time we enter into prayer. Our God is truly an awesome God. He loves us even more than the most beloved parent could ever begin to love their son or daughter.

The psalmist echoes the same message, 'The Lord is kind and merciful'. He pardons, he heals, he redeems, he crowns. What more could you ask for?

Who is there like you?

There will always be rejoicing at the repentance of one sinner; of one son returning to the father. The story of the Prodigal Son gives only a fraction of the magnitude of God the Father's love for one who turns from sin.
Reconciliation is a bridge for love and compassion to meet in the center.
Reconciliation is mending the brokenness...making it whole again.

"Reconciliation is to understand both sides; to go to one side and describe the suffering being endured by the other side, and then go to other side and describe the suffering being endured by the first side." Thich Nhat Hanh

"In failing to confess, Lord, I would only hide You from myself,
not myself from You."- Saint Augustine
Never underestimate the great capacity of our God to forgive sins and remove guilt.

Who is there like you?
We need no other words for prayers of praise and gratitude.