{"id":31894,"title":"The Father We Don't Deserve - the BELIEVE Blog ft. Nathanael","description":"We all know the story of the prodigal son. We've been taught it since our first days of Sunday school or at home. This story is glossed over and a lot of people never fully understand it and in doing so often become the first born son or 'the bad guy' of the story. \n\nThe eldest only ever worked hard for his dad so surely he deserved the feast more than the one that ran away into sin, right? Well, no, hear me out...","content":"

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\u201cAnd he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.\u201d Luke 15:20<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>

Picture a young boy and a father. What did the boy do to be his father\u2019s son? Nothing. The boy will then get to an age of understanding and accepts this man as his father. They are blood related and there is nothing the boy can do to change that. <\/strong><\/p>

Take a look at this verse. \"For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.\"<\/em> Joshua 1:9 AMP<\/p>

That's not just a physical meaning.<\/strong> If you go some place then God is with you, it's true, but that\u2019s not all. It has a mental and spiritual meaning. <\/p>

If the boy choses to go down an evil path in life, he is still his father\u2019s son. The father can't and won't change that. Likewise, if you go into sin, God is still with you.<\/strong> Not to agree with it, not to condone it but He is still there for you to turn around and take His hand. <\/p>

Jesus often taught in parables<\/strong> that the people would understand. Often, He compared the love of God to that of a father and his children. <\/p>

We all know the story of the prodigal son.<\/strong> We've been taught it since our first days of Sunday school or at home. This story is glossed over and a lot of people never fully understand it and in doing so often become the first born son or 'the bad guy' of the story. <\/p>

The eldest only ever worked hard for his dad so surely he deserved the feast more<\/strong> than the one that ran away into sin, right? Well, no, hear me out. <\/p>

The younger son takes his share and goes away into sin but in the end he comes back to repent just as anyone should. However, the father welcomed his son back before he could even try to repent!<\/strong> <\/p>

I'm not saying you don't have to repent. But the father here saw his son. Nothing that the son had done had changed who he was to his father.<\/strong> Even if the son didn't repent he was still the man's son. <\/p>

Back to the older son. All he did was work for his dad. Because it was the right thing? No, because he wanted his share. He only ever did the work because of the benefit he would earn and deserve.<\/strong> The prodigal son abused grace and took his share but why was he the one to get the fine treatment? Because he was still his son and came to repent, knowing he did not even deserve to be a servant. <\/p>

So to conclude, ask the Lord to search you<\/strong> for anywhere you need to repent and do so. \u201cSo any person who knows what is right to do but does not do it, to him it is sin.\u201d<\/em> James 4:17 AMP<\/p>

Remember: you are already forgiven.<\/strong> Working for the blessing defeats the point! <\/p>

Don\u2019t be the older son who worked hard, not because it was right, not to honour his father but to deserve his share. We can\u2019t deserve it.<\/strong> Ever. <\/strong><\/p>

JESUS LOVES YOU!<\/p>

Nathanael, 17, UK<\/p>

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Follow us on instagram - https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/revivalforeveryone\/<\/a><\/p>","urlTitle":"the-father-we-dont-deserve","url":"\/blog\/the-father-we-dont-deserve\/","editListUrl":"\/my-blogs","editUrl":"\/my-blogs\/edit\/the-father-we-dont-deserve\/","fullUrl":"https:\/\/revivalforeveryone.com\/blog\/the-father-we-dont-deserve\/","featured":false,"published":true,"showOnSitemap":true,"hidden":false,"visibility":null,"createdAt":1695162228,"updatedAt":1695165191,"publishedAt":1695165191,"lastReadAt":null,"division":{"id":233745,"name":"Revival"},"tags":[],"metaImage":{"original":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/n7efau0fnxgythyb8tuaa2ambufslaeyuc6atw0ia5zwgfxq.jpeg","thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/n7efau0fnxgythyb8tuaa2ambufslaeyuc6atw0ia5zwgfxq.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/n7efau0fnxgythyb8tuaa2ambufslaeyuc6atw0ia5zwgfxq.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"metaTitle":"","metaDescription":"","keyPhraseCampaignId":null,"series":[],"similarReads":[{"id":53825,"title":"Who Was and Is to Come - The BELIEVE Blog","url":"\/blog\/who-was-and-is-to-come\/","urlTitle":"who-was-and-is-to-come","division":233745,"description":"Regardless of your persuasion on certain traditions that take place worldwide on the 25th December, I think we can all agree that the birth of Jesus Christ our Lord was an overwhelmingly beautiful event. Was He actually born on December 25th? I\u2019m not even going to get into that. For now, it doesn\u2019t matter. What does matter is two points...","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/5ehaem4qbtrt8guxomwjn4ae7rvnehxhbtsognpzko2l7j7e.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/5ehaem4qbtrt8guxomwjn4ae7rvnehxhbtsognpzko2l7j7e.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":23867,"title":"He Restores My Soul - the BELIEVE Blog","url":"\/blog\/he-restores-my-soul-the-believe-blog\/","urlTitle":"he-restores-my-soul-the-believe-blog","division":233745,"description":"I once saw a quote that said, \u201cWe are not defined by our actions but by our re-actions.\u201d I wish I could tell you who said it. But this quote can be directly applied to David. He may have only been a young shepherd when he wrote Psalm 23, but we know from his life that he really believed that God was the restorer of his soul.","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/n9sk5ripghy6ebkzktg6x2epvr3rjjjf3jskzbv0nzibjj5m.png.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/n9sk5ripghy6ebkzktg6x2epvr3rjjjf3jskzbv0nzibjj5m.png.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":27430,"title":"Sovereignty vs. Redemption - the BELIEVE Blog","url":"\/blog\/sovereignty-vs-redemption-the-believe-blog\/","urlTitle":"sovereignty-vs-redemption-the-believe-blog","division":233745,"description":"One of the worst doctrines to ever be taught in the church is that God is responsible for everything. This doctrine will usually be found under the umbrella of Sovereignty. Sovereignty is defined as \u201csupreme power or authority\u201d. While I agree that God is all-powerful and certainly the supreme authority in my life, that does not mean that He is the author of all things. I\u2019ll explain.","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/frwpjlruswh3hbtsd4ik6hdriqn5huuksh3huufcimounmcg.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/frwpjlruswh3hbtsd4ik6hdriqn5huuksh3huufcimounmcg.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0}],"labels":[]}