Empathy toward our Father.

Scripture:
“How can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? No! Do not let me see the misery that would come on my father.”” Genesis 44:34 (NIV)

“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him.” Luke 15:28 (NIV)


Application:
The two stories in the Bible of Jacob's son Judah and the older son in the Prodigal son parable may seem unrelated, but they're not. Each son has an opportunity to empathize with his father.
Judah, once uncaring of the pain Jacob felt due to his believing Joseph was dead, finally has developed a sense of deep empathy toward his father. Now, Judah doesn't want to do anything that might bring misery to Jacob.
But the older son in the Prodigal story is different. He can't see beyond his own jealousy and is prepared to spoil his father's joy at being reunited with his younger son. He doesn't care about hurting his own father.

How do we cultivate an empathy for our Heavenly Father?

First, we must realize that separation from us truly pains Him. When we draw away from God, He really hurts. We mean so much to Him!

But we can soothe His pain.

After realizing how much God loves us, we can “go back” and “go in" to Him, admit our faults, ask Him to clean us up, and then spend time with Him.

This really makes God happy.


Prayer:
Dear Father, we know that, even though You are all powerful, You are hurt by our sin and separation from You. We are sorry for what we did. Please forgive us. Help us feel the hurt You feel when we separate ourselves from You. Take our hands and hearts and hold us close to You. Dear Abba, we love You deeply, and never want to be separated from You ever again. Amen.