“Do you know what a prostitute is? It is someone who is willing to sell his or her false affections for a price. Can you imagine the heartbreak of the father of the prostitute? In the world, the rationale would be that his actions must have been less than perfect to cause his child to become so calloused toward himself or herself and others, that he or she is able to function as a prostitute.

"What have I done to cause you to care so little, that you give yourselves away to any lover that is willing to satisfy your required price? I have purchased you for a great price. You have gladly received the benefits of My purchase and have consumed them upon yourself. While you say that you are Mine, I notice that your eyes are wandering to and fro, attempting to find the next lover that will satisfy you in some way. As a Father, I grieve. Nothing that I have done causes you to care so little. Nothing that you have been given would cause you to be unsatisfied. But you are. You constantly need more from Me to fulfill your wandering desires.

"Unlike someone who would give up on you because you care so little, I never will. Unlike a wounded father who is incapable of giving any more, I will continue to lavish My love on you until you can see clearly and turn from your ways. Each time you repent of your wandering, I will forgive you, knowing that as soon as other lovers come along, you will follow them again. I will forgive, and forgive, and forgive. I love you. Nothing you will ever do will stop Me from loving you.”

Romans 2:4b NIV

….not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance?

I Cor. 13:4, 7-8 NIV

4) Love is patient, love is kind….it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

7) It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8) Love never fails.

I remember going to the Lord for what must have been the thousandth time with the same sin, grieving over my failure; and knowing that I would soon be back in the same position, confessing once again. In the beginning, I would go to the Lord so that I could feel good, so that I could be clean again. His forgiveness and the promise of complete restoration of our fellowship always drove me back to that place of cleansing. In my hurt, undoneness, and immaturity, however, I could never really come to true repentance - a complete turning from my sin. I came to Him for my good, so that I would feel better. In His great love, He was always there. He knew that I’d be back the next time I stepped on His love, but He never turned me away.

Eventually, however, something wonderful happened. My reason for coming to Him with my sin began to change. Because of the astounding love of my Lord, Who always accepted me and never gave up on me, I was free to come to Him until the Word that was working in me could change my heart from within.

I began to come to Him with my sin, not only to become cleansed; but because I began to see how much my sin grieved my Father. He hurt when our fellowship was broken. He grieved as He saw me fall back into my own vomit. He was more anxious to clean me off than I was to be clean.

Eventually, I no longer wanted to offend Him. His love became more powerful than my desire to commit that sin. He held me while I was too immature to see clearly. Then He changed me as He said He would. This happened to sin after sin after sin. It is still happening and will continue to happen until He calls me home. What an incredible promise. What an incredible God!

In Him,

Jim Corbett