Jesus tells of a story about a young man who asks his father for his inheritance and once it is granted to him he leaves home to explore the world. Once out in the world he spends his entire inheritance on wild living. Broke and broken he decides to return to his father to become a hired hand. The father must have been scanning the horizon every day since his son left, because “while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” (Luke 15:20). The father was overcome with joy that his son had returned and threw a huge party to celebrate his return.
We are the prodigal son and daughter. God our Father has given us an inheritance and we left home. We spent some time out in the world living the fast, wild life. We have spent all that we have and are now hiring ourselves out to the world. We engage in the things of the world that our Father wouldn’t approve of. We are hungry for acceptance, love, compassion, and peace. We are entertaining the thought of eating the slop of pigs. Eating whatever the world gives in an attempt to fill our stomachs. We are striving and want a better life. Then we come to realize we would be better off as our Father’s servant than to continue with the life we currently live. We have come to decision time. Stay out in the world or humbly return to our Father?
Returning to our Father means we have to bust through our pride. Then we begin our journey home. I spent years chasing the things of this world only to find out that they were leading me to destruction. Years of drinking, drug use, and broken relationships. There was destruction everywhere I looked. I reached out to a neighbor in an attempt to manipulate a situation for my gain. She showed up at my house with the pastor of a local church she attended. These two gracious people showed me the way home. My decision on September 16, 1993, forever changed the trajectory of my life. On this day I returned to my Father who had been scanning the horizon, anticipating my return. When my Father saw me off in the distance He came running to greet me. He greeted me with a huge hug. All of heaven rejoiced, as well as some people here on earth.
It doesn’t matter where you are or what you’ve done. Your Father is scanning the horizon, waiting for you to return. You’re hungry, spiritually hungry. It’s time to go home. It’s time to return to your Father’s house. It’s OK, He’s waiting for you to return, and when you do there will rejoicing.
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