“How to get started reading the Bible”—we’ve all googled it before. No matter how far you’ve come on your faith journey, reading the Bible can be hard! We’re right there with you. We see these Scripture meditations as a way to read Scripture in a digestible way. Let’s start together, one verse at a time!
I’ve Made Too Many Mistakes
We’re all prone to make mistakes. Sometimes this looks like a lapse of judgment for a moment, or it could be years of looking to things other than God for fulfillment.
Whatever mistakes look like for you, it can be difficult to turn back toward God. Why would he want you 𝘯𝘰𝘸?
But God doesn’t think like that. In the Parable of the Prodigal Son, the father represents God, and the younger son is those of us who turn away from God. When the son decides to return home, despite all of the mistakes that he made, the father sees him from a distance and runs to meet him, hugging and kissing him.
The father was so excited to see that his son was returning; nothing else mattered. And because our past is wiped away with the blood of Jesus, God meets us with the same excitement. We don’t have to worry about what God will say when we return; he just wants us to come back home.
Luke 15:18-20
“I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.”
Observations from the Text
- We can always return to God, no matter what we’ve done (v. 18)
- God doesn’t give us what we deserve; because of Jesus, our mistakes are covered (v. 20)
- God will always welcome us home, no matter how far we’ve strayed away (v. 20)
Prayers of Response
Perfect Father, I’m sorry for turning away from your love.
Loving God, thank you for loving me even through moments like ____________.
Prayer Requests
Holy Spirit, help me see you in ____________. You always have the better path for me.
Gracious Lord, when I mess up, remind me of your grace and your desire to bring me back home.
Prayers of Readiness
Faithful Father, I want to make the choice to stay by your side, but when I don’t, I want to remember ____________.
Jesus, give me your grace for others when they stray away and want to return home.
Connect with God in the ordinary, extraordinary, everyday moments of life through other Scripture meditations like this one. Check out this page for more!
Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
