Held by Mercy

“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.” Luke 15:20

Mercy is not only God holding back judgment, it’s also God running toward us with compassion, even when we’ve squandered everything.

The parable of the Prodigal Son is a veritable portrait of mercy. The younger son took his inheritance early, left home, and wasted it all in reckless living. At his lowest, hungry and broken, he decided to return, not expecting restoration, only hoping to survive.

But before he could even reach the house, his father ran to him.

That’s mercy. It doesn’t wait for perfection. It meets repentance with embrace.
The son didn’t get a lecture. He got a robe. He didn’t get rejection. He got a ring.
He didn’t get distance. He got a feast.

The father didn’t bring up his failures, he celebrated his return.

God’s mercy is not reluctant. It is ready.
Not cold or calculated. But warm, extravagant, and immediate.

Maybe you feel far and maybe shame whispers you’re too lost, too broken, too late. But mercy is already on the move. You don’t have to clean yourself up first. Just come. Come as you are.

Mercy doesn’t just let you back in, it restores your place as a beloved child.

Lord thank You that Your mercy runs faster than my guilt. Thank You that You don’t shame me, You receive me. Help me live in the fullness of Your mercy. Amen.