I hope you took time to worship the Lord this weekend, maybe last night or this morning with a group of people, or maybe privately when you were all alone. Maybe your thoughts were like mine, reflecting on the challenges of the days past, the ways God provided, your weaknesses and failures, and your desperate need for your loving Heavenly Father’s nearness. In fact, with the invitation to be close to Him comes a promise, “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” (James 4:8a)  We find overwhelming comfort and peace in the embrace of the God who loves us.

When was the last time you let the Lord embrace you with His Spirit? Not physically, but with the comfort of His truth, the very real sense of His presence, and the confidence of His acceptance? When we enter into His presence with thanksgiving and praise, we carve out opportunity to enjoy the joy of His embrace.  So many things get in the way and distract us from experiencing the embrace of our loving God.

But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to celebrate. (from Luke 15:20-24)

What your embrace says

1. I want to be near you
2. I choose not to be distant
3. I’m not letting anything separate us
4. I accept you
5. I’m seeking you out
6. I am vulnerable to you
7. I want to be open to you
8. I invite you to express yourself
9. I am a safe place
10. I am with you & WITH you

A physical embrace is the outward expression of inward acceptance. The father of the prodigal held no malice toward his son; he didn’t harbor resistance or resentment for the ill treatment and shame he endured. Instead of self-protection, the loving father grabbed hold of his long garments, held them high enough to manage the run, and took off in other-centered abandon, not worrying about how ridiculous he looked in the fury of his love.

His embrace wasn’t restrained or conditional; his embrace was unbound and devoted.

“And they began to celebrate.”  It’s not hard to see why, since the rebellious son had received the comfort and peace of his father’s genuine embrace. RELIEF! Joy. Acceptance. Mercy. Forgiveness. Restoration. Undeserved? Yes, but unconditional, nevertheless.

We find overwhelming comfort and peace in the embrace of the God who loves us.

It feels so good to be embraced without limitations.  I hope you felt relief, joy, acceptance, mercy, forgiveness, and restoration in your time with the Lord this weekend. Maybe even today?

We often pray and sing to be the hands and feet of Jesus, but our open arms have a tendency to miss the guys in our own world. What if we embrace him on Jesus’ behalf? What if we cast off things that keep us distant, move forward in other-centered abandon, not worry about feeling ridiculous, and embrace”him” with unconditional love? The little boy in your life?  The awkward teen in your life? The tired husband in your life? The fading father in your life? What if you were the embrace of Jesus to him today?

We find overwhelming comfort and peace in the embrace of one who loves us.

You can bless the guy in your lives with an embrace. Go ahead and hug that man! How sweet for him to find overwhelming comfort and peace in the embrace of a woman who loves him unconditionally.

I think he will celebrate.