Daily Devotional
Do You Know Your Father’s Heart?
“So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends.’”
Luke 15:29
October 2, 2021
Ponder This
This elder brother was what we would have considered a model worker, and yet he did not know his father’s heart. He did not understand what motivated his father. I can almost hear his mind working. He’s thinking, “You know, I don’t understand what’s wrong with my dad. We’ve never had finer crops. Look at the cattle, how sleek and fat they are. Look at the barns, how freshly painted, how large and wonderful they are. Look at all the workers we have coming and going. Everything looks so fine. I don’t know what’s wrong with my father. My father just seems to sit there. He never seems to be completely satisfied, no matter how wonderful the farm is, no matter how beautiful everything is. My father seems to have a faraway look in his eyes. I don’t know what’s wrong with my father.”
I’ll tell you what was wrong with the father. He had a broken heart over a son that was away from home. I want to ask you a question. What do you think God is primarily concerned about? Do you know the heart of the Father? Or are you so wrapped up in all the things you can do for Him that you don’t know what’s on His heart and mind?
- What are some examples from your life of ways you can constantly work for God but still miss what’s important to God?
- How might you spend time with God this week to learn what’s on His heart?
Practice This
Take time this week in the Scripture where you aren’t “doing” anything for God but instead seeking just to be with Him and learn His heart.
FOR YOUR GIFT TO THE MINISTRY
Front Porch Moments by Gayle Foster
WITH KEY INSIGHTS FROM HER FATHER, ADRIAN ROGERS
I try to unplug each morning with Jesus with just my rocking chair, my Bible, and a pen.
Having a secret place is very important because I know that Jesus is always there waiting for me. I know where I can find Him! His presence is everywhere, but there are places where it is so thick you can cut it with a knife. You may not even have a front porch, but there is a secret place for you as well. God’s invitations are for anyone who will respond. There is no more important request than the one found in Psalm 27:8: “My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’”
