The Father's Search for the Son
Greetings, brothers and sisters. This is Dr. James Perry continuing with our series where we seek to
explore the deeper meanings of our relationship with Jesus Christ. Over the years, the heavenly
Father has revealed many revelations of spiritual truth to me, and I want to share them with you. This
morning we ponder the Father's Search for the Son.
And now, sit back and listen to today's message.
The Father's Search for the Son
Jesus said, "Even so, it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven that one of these little
ones should perish." Jesus would ". . . have all men to come into the knowledge of the truth."
Matthew, Chapter 18, Verse 13, and 1Timothy, Chapter 2, Verse 3.
Brothers and sisters, ponder the meaning of this story: A son becomes unhappy living in his father's
house. He becomes so dissatisfied with the way his father does things that he asks his father for his
share of his inheritance, and after receiving it, he leaves home. A sheep grazes with the rest of the
flock, eating good grass. So intent is he on eating the grass, he unintentionally strays away from the
flock and falls into a deep hole from which he cannot escape. A son becomes so caught up with the
routine tasks and struggles of material life that he fails to maintain communication with his father.
Brothers and sisters, in our minds and souls, there appears an indescribable hunger and unquenchable
thirst. Why, we know not, but this thirst and hunger drives us relentlessly down the painful,
sorrowful, and disappointing road of life. No physical food or water can satisfy this starving hunger
or quench this drying thirst. No physical pleasure or physical activity can drown this thirst or smother
this hunger. It persists in spite of all physical efforts to diminish or eliminate it. And though this
hunger and thirst may cause us to strive for the mastery of our physical health or physical skills, it
remains undiluted when these same physical activities are mastered.
No amount of intellectual food or water can satisfy this undying hunger of this fiery thirst. No
intellectual pleasure or intellectual activity can darken this hungry light of truth or shadow this thirsty
light of righteousness. No amount of intellectual achievement can surpass this stimulating guiding
light of divine truth and eternal righteousness. And though this hunger and thirst may cause us to
strive for the mastery of intellectual pursuits, this light is still undimmed and undaunted when these
intellectual activities are mastered.
The spiritual Father never rests until He has found us. It matters not whether we intentionally or
unintentionally strayed. Neither does it matter whether we are too busy with the material cares of the
world to notice the caring spiritual Father. He uses any and all influences consistent with our free
will dignity to find us.
He uses the increased understanding and insight that emerges from the plight of suffering and
sorrowing to locate us. He uses the increased patience and wisdom evolved from the contest with
pain and disappointment to pinpoint us. He also uses the consequence of trial and error to reach us,
and He uses the devastating consequences of evil and sin to firmly grasp us in His loving, patient,
merciful and forgiving embrace.
The spiritual Father sends His Son, Jesus (the Spirit of Truth) and His associates to find us. He sends
those of us who have been found to locate those sons still missing and undiscovered. Through them,
the Father reveals His nature in the form of loving kindness, loving patience, loving mercy, and
loving forgiveness. The love of the spiritual Father is infinite in scope and eternal in duration.
The Father uses several qualities of his divine goodness to find us. The divine quality of patience is
utilized while the Father locates us. This quality is freely spent while we grow into the divine love.
The quality of mercy is another divine instrument that the Father uses in finding us. This quality
actually makes us more sensitive to the search light of the Father's love. It is the force that actually
spiritualizes us, and is unfailingly manifested in the outer life as increased compassion and sympathy
for some of our error and evil-riddled brothers and sisters. The mercy of the Son, Jesus, is thorough,
complete and available to all.
The quality of forgiveness is the final factor of goodness that the Father uses in His search to find
us. This quality actually makes it possible for us to be found. Forgiveness to us is as a tail is to a kite.
It stabilizes us on ever increasing higher levels of spiritual pursuits. This quality is unfailingly
manifested in the outer life as the act of setting aside wrongs done by us and to each other.
The Father lovingly nourishes us with truth. We are like small infants, devoid of all spiritual wisdom
and insight. We must grow and develop, and as we grow and develop, we recognize more and more
of our earthly father. Like the material hunger and thirst that is placed in us to insure physical growth
and development, so is the spiritual urge of truth hunger and righteous thirst placed in mercy in our
souls to insure spiritual development.
As we eat of the food of truth and drink of the water of righteousness, we grow spiritually. Prayer
is the dining room where the spiritual feast of divine goodness is served, while worship is the table
where upon the food of truth and the water of righteousness are placed. The spiritual energy that is
received from this feast of divine goodness is unfailingly utilized in the outer life--we demonstrate
divine love, everlasting patience, increasing mercy, and unending forgiveness.
This concludes today's message on the Father's search for the son. We hope you find something in
this message to ponder and pray about as you go about your day. Until next time, this is Dr. James
Perry.
Inspirational Messages
By Dr. James Perry
Your Kingdom Come, Your Will Be Done!
The Father's Search for the Son
