Great is the love for My children. As a parent longs for the return of the wayward, so too does the heart of the Father. Far or near, it matters not; pain is in the missing, of the empty seat in the home. Difficult is the wait; long are the nights, knowing not if the return will ever be. Find peace, for My eyes do not wander, and I see each step of they who stray, their walking and their running. Their concealed place is known, and for those who know My call, I chastise in the hiding, for it is in suffering that the prodigal returns. In relief of misplaced blessing, they grow deeper roots in poison ground. Allow what will save them; do not love in the way of harm, for grace is saved for the returning. For the rebellious, discipline is the greater love. Charity is for the downtrodden – they that cannot stand as they wish. Chastisement is for the defiant, that the weight of wrong choice would be their teacher, for this voice cannot long be ignored. Do not grow weary in the prayers for such. In this there is the greatest good, as it provokes the greatest end. Save your words, that he may hear My own. Hold back that which comforts for a moment, but enables the long torment to remain. Enough reprieve in the desert makes the desert a home. Let thirst and hunger speak of return, and My Spirit of repentance. In this, the empty chair may one day be filled.
Luke 15:16 (NIV) – He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
Hebrews 12:11 (NIV) – No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
Bottom Line: Our work life is very connected to our home life, and for many of us who have loved ones who have gone astray, it is difficult to do our best work. When our hearts are weighed down with worry, even if it is not top-of-mind all day, the undercurrent of concern can thwart our ability to concentrate and contribute as we should in the workplace. If this is you, and your son, daughter, brother, sister . . . or maybe even your own parents are wayward or missing, take heart that the Lord knows where they are, and the trials that they are facing are meant to lead them back. As hard as it is, especially around holidays, if they are asking for “help” that is just going to prolong their wayward lifestyle, so refrain from giving that kind of help. If your words are falling on deaf ears, hold back the next lecture, and let the Holy Spirit speak to their heart in their suffering. Pray fervently for them, but then get back to the work in which you were called, and let the Lord and His Word work in them.
