Extravagant Love

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound. 
Isaiah 61:1

Recommended Reading Luke 15:11-31

God's love for us is like an intricately cut diamond. The longer we examine each facet, the deeper our understanding of it. Jesus uses the father in the story of the prodigal son to describe His heart and affection for the lost. When the prodigal returned home, the father could have cut him off from the family. This was the acceptable course of action against a person who had brought such shame upon his family. It was naive of the son to think he could return home, even as a servant. 

But this father does the unexpected. When he sees his son in the distance, he runs to him, embracing and kissing him. The father is more concerned with having his son return than with hearing why he returned. He is given a robe, a ring, and shoes -- these are visible signs to the community that the son is a part of his family. 

We serve a loving God: He searches for us and runs to us. He embraces us and adopts us into His family. When God's love touches our lives, we are inspired to seek and love the lost as Jesus did. 

God's mercy and grace give me hope -- for myself, and for our world.
Billy Graham