Encouragement

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“Return to me with all your heart.”- Joel (2:12)

There are times in life when we feel we have reached the end of our rope. We just cant go on anymore, we try to make sense of what is happening and fail, we either go along with the tide or try to battle against it.

One of the most inspiring and popular parable in the bible is 'The Prodigal Son'.
We have heard it time and again and yet sometimes we miss the beautiful message of this wonderful story.
Though the son had reached the point of no return and was in a miserable state, yet, he has the foresight to return back to his father and was even prepared to live as a servant in his own home.

However, when the son returns home, his father rushes to meet him half way. He does not wait for his son to come up to him and apologize for what he has done. He forgives him instantly. He is overjoyed that his waiting has come to an end and his son has returned to him. He puts on the finest ring on his finger thus handing over his legacy to him as his rightful son.

This parable pre-figures our own return to the Father. When we return to God, he runs half way to meet and embrace us. He is not the strict judge but the merciful and loving father who rejoices at our home coming. He confers his eternal legacy on us, his rightful children, having conformed us to himself right from our birth.

Thus, when we reach the point of no return, we should remember that it is not a dead end. But this is exactly the point to glance upwards for that one last try. To gaze up to the mighty heavens for the ray of hope needed to go on.

The most painful events of our life that are the lovely shadows that make the painting of our life truly magnanimous. What we cannot see or comprehend today will one day all fall into place and we shall see clearly when all the pieces of our life will fit together like a puzzle. We shall see the entire picture and the reason for each event of our life; for every moment of pain and suffering. We shall see this with new eyes because then, all the scales which blind our eyes will fall off.

What we are going through in our life is for a definite purpose. God knows the reason and he knows exactly why he has put us in this position. Our knowledge and wisdom is limited to grasp and understand his plans.
But what He promises us is this; “I will turn their mourning into joy. I will comfort them and exchange their sorrow for rejoicing." Jeremiah 31:13

We don’t understand at times. But He has not called us to understand, he has just called us to trust in Him and believe that we will eventually see the light at the end of the tunnel. This is an absolute guarantee.
As Jesus said, “Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began!" John 17:24

We have to just assure ourselves that there is never any point of no return. Not even death which is only the door to a new life. Having finished our prodigal life on earth, we return back to our Creator, the Master of us all where he has prepared a place for us in accordance with our birth right.
As we read in 2 Corinthians 5:1; "For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down, we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands."

The point of no return is the point to call on the name of Jesus. For there is power in His name; there is healing in His name and most of all, there is salvation in His name.

Maria Franco

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