OUR DAILY BREAD :OPEN ARMS

[cimi]

January 21
Monday


OPEN ARMS


READ:
Luke 15:11-24
____________________________________________________________________________
When he was still
a great way off, his
father saw him and
had compassion,
and ran and fell on
his neck and kissed
him. __Luke 15:20
____________________________________________________________________________

At the funeral of former US First
Lady Betty Ford, her son Steven
said, "She was the one with the love
and the comfort, and she was the first
one there to put her arms around you.
Nineteen years ago when I went
through my alcoholism, my mother
...gave me one of the greatest gifts,
and that was how to surrender to God,
and to accept the grace of God in my
life. And truly in her arms I felt like
the prodigal son coming home, and I
felt God's love through her. And that
was a good gift."
Jesus' parable about a young man
who asked for and squandered his
inheritance and then in humiliation
returned home leaves us amazed at his
father's response: "When he was still a
great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran
and fell on his neck and kissed him" (Luke 15:20). Instead of
a lecture or punishment, the father expressed love and forgive-
ness by giving him a party. Why? Because "this my son was
dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found" (v.24).
Steven Ford concluded his tribute with the words, "Thank
you, Mom, for loving your husband, loving us
kids, loving the nation, with the heart of God."
May God enable us to open our arms to others, just as His
are open wide to all who turn to Him. __David McCasland
__________________________________________________________________________

Lord, help me be kind and forgiving--
Your loving forgiveness You've shown
To me for the sins I
ve committed;
Lord, grant e a love like Your own. __Anon.
__________________________________________________________________________

Forgiven sinners know love and show love.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Today's Bible Reading __ Luke 15:11-24~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

11 " A certain man had two
sons. 12 And the younger of
them said to his father,
'Father, give me the portion
of goods that falls to me.'
So he divided to them his
livelihood. 13 And...the
younger son gathered all
together, journeyed to a far
country, and there wasted
his possessions.... 14 But
when he had spent all, there
arose a severe famine in the
land, and he began to be in
want. 15 Then he went and
joined himself to a citizen of
that country, and he sent
him into his fields to feed
swine. 16 And he would
gladly have filled his
stomach with the pods that
the swine ate....
17 "But when he came to
himself, he said, 'How many
of my father's hired servants
have bread enough and to
spare, and I perish with
hunger! 18 I will arise and go
to my father, and will say to
him, "Father, I have sinned
against heaven and before
you, 19 and I am no longer
worthy to be called you
son. Make me like one of
your hired servants." '
20
And he arose and came
tho his father. But when he
was still a great way off, his
father saw him and had
compassion.... 21 And the
son said to him, 'Father, I
have sinned against heaven
and in your sight, and am no
longer worthy to be called
your son.' 22 But the father
said to his servants, 'Bring
out the best robe....
23 And bring the fatted calf
here and kill it, and let us
eat and be merry; 24 for this
my son was dead and is
alive again; he was lost and
is found.' And they began to
be merry."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Luke 15 could be called the "Lost and Found" department of the
Bible. Three stories, summarized by four words--lost, search, found,
rejoice--paint an unmistakable picture of God. He is the protective
Shepherd, the persistent Owner, and the patient Father.

[realtmg]

Amen cimi!
I relate to the this post.
Thanks.

GBU

Real

[cimi]

Hi realtmg. Me too!