"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.’"—Luke 15:21

Many of us think it's impossible for God to forgive us. Mostly because we have never experienced actual, complete, total, and generous forgiveness. Usually, this is because we've lacked experiences in forgiveness ourselves. Therefore, we have this understanding that it's impossible for God to forgive us. Maybe because we've privately imagined Him as exclusively just, punitive, and judgmental but not mutually loving, gracious, and forgiving. And if this is the way that you view God, then you're missing out on Jesus' Father. The line above is a climactic moment in Jesus' most told and most famous of stories. He is telling a parable about his Father and describing him as a father that is different from human fathers. One who is loving, gracious, and forgiving. And note, all we need to do is come to him to discover this truth. But it means we must discover something insidious about ourselves—our sin, and how it's our sin that impedes our relationship with Him, not our perception that God is unwilling to forgive.

"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."—Luke 15:22-24

DO THIS: Come to a Father who is willing and ready to forgive.

PRAYER: God, it's my perception of you that has kept me from you for so long. I have only believed that you would hate me for my sin, and therefore I have tried to hide my sin from you. But God, I feel the weight of my sin today, and I have nowhere else to go. I feel unaccepted by the world, and even uncertain you will accept me. Will you show me love, grace, and forgiveness today? I need it...