Day 4: The Joy of Being Found
You don't have to search... you just need to be found
Scripture: Luke 15:22-24
“But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet... for this, my son, was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found.’ Then they began to celebrate.”
The moment you realize you’ve been wandering is the very moment joy starts coming back.
Not because you have all the answers.
Not because you’ve cleaned up your act.
But because God has never stopped seeing you as His child.
Jesus tells the story of the prodigal son not to shame us, but to reveal the heart of the Father. This is a God who runs—not from our mess, but toward us. He restores before we can explain. He celebrates before we can prove we’ve changed.
The son didn’t return home with a new life plan. He came back empty, tired, and unsure if he’d be accepted. But the father ran to him, clothed him, fed him, and restored his identity before a word of apology could leave his mouth.
This is how joy returns:
By letting yourself be found, instead of searching.
By receiving your belovedness, not earning it.
Before you are called to do anything, God celebrates who you are.
You don’t have to fear returning to God. He already sees you. Already loves you. Already has the robe, the ring, and the party ready.
Centering Prayer
Loving Father,
Thank You for running toward me when searching leads me astray.
Help me receive the joy of being found—not for what I’ve done, or what I will do, but for who I am to You.
Restore my heart with the simple truth: I am already home. Amen.
Practice for Today
Take a moment to close your eyes and imagine the Father running toward you.
What does His face look like?
How does it feel to be embraced, clothed, and restored before you’ve said a word?
Then whisper:
“I am found. I am home. I am loved.”
Journaling Prompt
Have I ever felt too far from God to return?
What would it mean to believe that joy begins not when I “figure it all out,” but when I let myself be found?
Closing Blessing
Stop running.
Let yourself be seen.
Step into the embrace of the One
who has never stopped watching for your return.
You are not forgotten.
You are not disqualified.
You are found—and joy is your inheritance.
Pray as You Go
Inhale: You see me…
Exhale: …and run to welcome me.