Was it worth it?

The parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32) is a story of human tragedy - but that's not the end of the story! It's also the story of the triumph of divine grace. We look at the young man's journey into the "far country"(Luke 15:13). We see him, wandering. We see him, far from home. Was it worth it? Life didn't turn out the way he thought it would. He was left with nothing but regrets - until the thought came into his mind, 'Could there still be a place for me at home?' (Luke 15:17-18). Where do such thoughts come from - when we are wandering far from home? They come from the Lord. Our loving Father reaches out to us. He calls us home. Our sin is great. The love of God is greater than our sin.  Like the prodigal son, we have wandered far from our loving Father - but he has not forgotten us. He waits for us to return to him. He longs to welcome us. He is speaking to us, inviting us to put our sinful past behind us and make a new beginning with him. He wants to show us how much he loves us. He wants to lead us into a life of love - "Loving Him who first loved me."