A Reflection On God’s Patience

When I am thankful for a God who waits

We were once citizens of a distant country. God didn’t exile us there; we moved there of our own accord. Like the Prodigal Son, we were happy to be independent, away from the stifling Presence of the Father, though hypocritically satisfied with His wealth. We celebrated and squandered, thinking we were accountable only to ourselves and forfeiting any right we may have ever had to call ourselves His children.

Many in our society still act as if independence were the highest virtue. Many are still living in a distant country. Meanwhile, our Father waits. He knows the futility of His children’s independence; He knows it will bring them to ruin. But unless they see it themselves, they will not believe it. So He waits.

The waiting Father is a beautiful and welcome picture for those of us who may have wondered if our failures would cause the Father to turn His back on us. We know He is righteous, and we know we are not. We may think we are no longer welcome in His house. But Jesus’ illustration is clear. We have a Father who waits.

He returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming.

Luke 15:20