“And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the Father said to his servants, bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it, and let us eat and be merry:” (Luke 5:21-23)
This is the picture of the nature of our Heavenly Father. Once you repent and say, ‘Father forgive me’, God is quick to forgive because it is His nature to forgive. The prodigal son’s Father killed the best of His calf to celebrate his return. This depicts God as an ever forgiving and ever loving Father. A father rejoices when he finds his lost child. If a lost child returns to God, He will receive him to establish him in the right path. He will never be anything less in God’s hand, God would place him in his right position – an heir of the kingdom. We are joyful because God is merciful. No matter how grievous a man’s sins are, God will still forgive and forget. There is a confident assurance in us that God never looks out for our faults. Instead of finding flaws, He follows us with His tender presence. Having this kind of confidence in God’s love, comes by acquaintance with Him. If any child of God knows and understands the nature of His Father, he would be joyful at all times, because God does not look at us to destroy us. Rather His love follows us everywhere we go. Indeed, we have a cause to be joyful!
