Jesus told a story about a boy who went to his father and said, “Give me my share of the family money now. I’m done waiting.” Then he took it and spent all the money on a good time. Eventually, he ran out of all his money. He ended up so hungry and so poor that he took a job feeding pigs, and the pig food started looking good to him.

That’s when he came to his senses. He thought, “Even the workers back home eat better than this.” So he started walking home. He thought about how he was going to explain what he had done and how he would say sorry to his dad. He knew his dad was going to be furious.

But here’s the amazing part. His father was watching. He must have been watching every single day, because the Bible says while the boy was still a long way off—just a speck on the road—his father saw him.

And then his dad ran. He sprinted down the road, threw his arms around his dirty, smelly, embarrassed son, and hugged him before the boy could even finish his speech. That’s what God is like. Not tapping His foot waiting for an apology. Running towards His children to tell them He still loves them.

Think About It: Which part of this story feels most like you right now: the son who wandered off, or the son who’s on his way home, or maybe the father who has a chance to forgive somebody? What would it change if you really believed God runs toward you instead of away from you?