Run to the Father

Intro

THE LOST SON

A young boy, around the age of eight, lived in Alaska with his parents. His dad was the Boy Scout leader of the area. The troop of the young boy decided to go mountain climbing up a two mile high mountain called Bald Eagle. The boy loved to climb and made a competition with the other boys to see who could climb the quickest to the top.

The boy went further and further up, losing sight of the troop and his father, but did not slow as he did not want the other boys to catch him. As he climbed he learned it was easier to climb at a diagonal. Spiraling up, he finally reached the summit. It was lonely and cold as the wind blew across the hard rock surface of the mountain.

Time passed as he waited for the troop. Fear began to take hold of his mind. "What if I’m on the wrong mountain? Maybe I crossed over to another mountain and I’m lost!"

Two hikers seemed to appear from nowhere and asked the boy if he was okay. "Yeah," he said, trying to muster courage in his voice. "My Boy Scout troop is coming up."

The men left and the young boy was again alone. With nowhere to sit securely, as time passed the fear and doubt began to creep in again, "What if a bear comes up here?" The boy thought of descending to find his father but was unsure the way as he had spiraled up to reach the top.

Looking down from the peak, he saw a small farm with a pond in the valley below. He decided to venture there. Going down was easy, but his fear of a bear grew as he entered a forest. He began to run with tears streaming down his face.

He came to an old dry mud road and followed until he stopped at a fork. "Which way?" He thought. He took the left. Finally, the road opened to the farm. He ran to the cottage and peered through the screen door to find a family eating at a table.

A woman came out and asked about the situation. She pointed to the mountain and gave the boy binoculars. "Look for your father up there." The boy watched intensely for any sign of life at the top of the mountain. Nothing. Were they there?

Suddenly, the boy saw color in the midst of the gray rocky surface. Tiny figures arose to the top. "Dad!" The boy cried out in tears. "I’m down here!" Though the boy could not hear a response he recognized his own father from such a far distance. The tiny figure quickly began to move down the mountainside and disappeared into the treeline. After what seemed like seconds, the father ran from the forest and with tears, embraced his young son, glad that he had found his lost son.

Luke 15:11–16 KJV 1900

And he said, A certain man had two sons: And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.

Sometimes we find ourselves demanding things from God and He goes ahead and gives us what we desire. Often it turns out not to be what we need at all. God will allow us to make decisions, He will give us direction and guidance, but if we insist on going our own way, He will allow it. Sadly, our own way frequently leads to trouble, heartache, and disappointment. Much like the youngest brother in Luke 15, we go OUR way, squander our talents, abilities, and gifts only to find that we are alone and drifting far from shore.

On August 29, 2020, a little three-year old girl was rescued from the back of an inflatable water toy after she had drifted almost two miles out to sea. Three years old and drifting further and further out to sea, in water hundreds of feet deep, clinging to an inflatable water toy. Can you imagine the terror that she must have felt and what her father and mother felt? After the rescue, the little girl couldn’t speak for quite some time she was in such a state of shock.

Do you possibly find yourself in such a state that you really aren’t able to speak this morning, perhaps you can’t even muster the strength or voice to cry out, “Father save me”.

Luke 15:17–19 KJV 1900

And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.

I pray for the Spirit to shake us this morning so that we might come to ourselves and realize “If I just run to the Father, it’s going to be alright. If I just get up and go home, I won’t starve, I won’t die, but if I stay here I’m done for.”

Luke 15:20–24 KJV 1900

And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

Just get up this morning, start walking. It won’t be long before the Father will see you, have compassion on you and coming running to meet you. The Lord is calling out to His children this morning, “Run to Me! Come home! I’m waiting for you. Just take the first step. Come home! Run to Me!”

Isaiah 40:31 KJV 1900

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings as eagles; They shall run, and not be weary; And they shall walk, and not faint.

Those that run to the Father will not be weary, they won’t faint, their strength will be renewed, their hearts will soar like eagles. The Hebrew word used in Isaiah 40:31 means “to make linear motion with a focus that the movement is relatively swift or intense…to hurry, do quickly, i.e., perform an action with a special focus that it is done in a hurried manner”.

Habakkuk 2:2 KJV 1900

And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, That he may run that readeth it.

Habakkuk 2 uses the same Hebrew word…run = to hurry, do quickly, perform an action with a special focus that it is done in a hurried manner.

I’ve shared the vision this morning, I’ve made it plain, now you that are ‘reading’ it, please

Get up

Shake yourself

Run to the Father

Do it quickly, do it with intense focus, do it with purpose, do it now

There is restoration for you today, there is healing for you today, there is deliverance for you today, there is hope for you today, there is help and strength and peace and love and comfort and belonging and fulfillment, and provision…it’s all in the Father’s house. Run to Him today!

Lyrics

I've carried a burden, For too long on my own, I wasn't created To bear it alone, I hear Your invitation, To let it all go, I see it now, I'm laying it down, I know that I need You

I run to the Father, Fall into grace, I'm done with the hiding, No reason to wait, My heart needs a surgeon, My soul needs a friend So I'll run to the Father, Again and again, And again and again

You saw my condition, Had a plan from the start, Your Son for redemption, The price for my heart, I don't have a context, For that kind of love, I don't understand, I can't comprehend, All I know is I need You

My heart has been in Your sights, Long before my first breath Running into Your arms, Is running to life from death And I feel this rush deep in my chest, Your mercy is calling out Just as I am You pull me in, And I know I need You now

I run to the Father, Fall into grace, I'm done with the hiding No reason to wait, My heart found a surgeon, My soul found a friend So I'll run to the Father, Again and again, And again and again