Day 12: True Repentance Releases The Blessings Of The Father

The clearest example of repentance that I know of in the Bible is in the parable of the prodigal son. I’m sure most of you remember the story. This was the younger son. He claimed his whole inheritance, took the money, left his father and his home, went off into a distant country and wasted all his money in riotous living. And then when he’d spent all his money, there came a great famine in the land and he found himself very hungry. He came so low that he had to hire himself out to one of the citizens of that country and he was given the job of feeding the pigs. The Scripture says he would long to fill his stomach with the husks that the pigs were eating but nobody gave him anything. And here we have now the picture of his repentance. It’s so vivid.

“But when he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called you son; make me as one of your hired men.’’  And he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him, and kissed him.”

You see there the perfect picture of repentance. First of all, he came to the end of himself. He had nothing more that he could do for himself. He was finished as far as that was concerned. Then, he made the decision; this is the inner change of mind. “I will get up and go to my father.” What’s the proof that his decision was genuine? It was in his action. Two verses later it says: “... he got up and came to his father.” That’s the most clear, simple, practical picture of repentance. First, the inner decision, to change your mind. Then, the fulfillment of the decision in outward action.

And you see how in this parable repentance prepared the way for the father to move? The father could do nothing for him until he’d made that decision and carried it out. Then that released the father’s compassion, his mercy, and his provision. And so it is in our relationship with God. God longs to bless us and to help us but He will not move, He cannot move because of His justice. Until we make that vital decision to repent, to get up, turn back and go to the Father.

In the next couple of days we’ll be looking at the inner mechanics of making such decisions as we’ve been considering.