Richard Ellis Talks Richard Ellis

We read in the story of the prodigal son that when the son finally decided to come home, while he was still "a long way off", his father saw him and ran to him. But the only way the father could have seen him coming is if he had been waiting anxiously for his return. This parable paints for us the picture of God, our Father, expectantly and longingly waiting for us to come back to Him. No matter where we've been or what we've done, nothing will ever keep Him from loving us and accepting us as His children.

You might be familiar with the verses in the Gospels where Jesus says that the most important commandment is, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." But have you ever paused to really reflect on that word..."all"? God gave His all, His only Son, so that we could be made holy and acceptable in His sight. Now, we're called to give it all back to Him, surrendering our whole selves to Him on a daily basis. When we do that, we'll be amazed at what He does in us and through us.

In Scripture, we read about the resurrection power of Jesus before He was ever raised from the dead. Jesus Himself brought Lazarus back to life after He had been dead for 4 days. Nothing is impossible for God, and no matter how dead we might feel, He's come to give us abundant and eternal life.

Families don't all look alike. And when we blend families, the odds are statistically stacked against us from the start. But the key to remember is this: the most important thing we can do for our family, no matter how it's made up, is live in a way that directs our loved ones to the Lord. In order to do that, we have to depend on God and allow Him to lead us in the relationships we build.

We've done absolutely nothing to earn an invitation from God for us to be with Him forever. Yet because Jesus has covered us in righteousness, we're invited to come anyway. It's our responsibility to respond -- what are we going to choose?

We'll never fully know who we are until we understand Whose we are. When we respond to God's call in our hearts, we become His. Then, we get to learn about who He's created us to be, and how to live out His purpose for us.