Fear and the Prodigal Son

"The only fear that ultimately makes sense is to fear God because if we keep our eyes on God out of fear, we will always discover that he loves us."

I came across this statement in the “The Life Model.” It's one of those wildly paradoxical statements that fills me with awe and wonder. I just had to share it with the rest of you.

I think it also points me to how little I know about love. I think I will get one thing, and then God surprises me with something I didn't expect or deserve.

Yesterday was the 2nd Sunday of lent. The reading and preaching was on the story of the prodigal son. What was highlighted in the story was that the son, once he realized he could do better back at the fathers house returned, but he wasn't yet repentant. He had a fine speech prepared with the proper amount of groveling, but his heart hadn't really turned. I'd say he was looking at his father out of fear, but while he was still a long way off (in his heart). The father ran to him, and then he discovered he was loved. In the presence of his fathers kindness and love he realized he had turned against someone, who was never against him. He had left the one who always had every thing he had been out looking for.

It's reliving to know that even repentance is always preceded by God's act of kindness. We fear Him and then find that He loves us in a way we could never predict or imagine.