Day 257: Our Squandered Estates, Our Father God's Unchanging Love
Read: Luke 15:11 - 16, Psalm 136, Isaiah 43:1 - 7
There are some passages of Scripture that you just sometimes have
difficulty trying to figure out - "Just what was on the Lord's mind when
He said that?" Why does the Lord just seem to want to drop a bombshell
on top of us when we might least expect it? There are times it seems
that the Lord just goes 'hardcore' on our spirits. There are no
pleasantries. There is just 'boom' - here it is folks! 'You will not
like what I am about to lay on you, but here it is anyway. So get over it!' What is this business about God feeling the need to be so demanding, so abrupt with us? I so have allot of trouble with people who want to or feel the need to be abrupt and so utterly demanding with my time!
So we come to the wayward son who abruptly approaches his father and demands of him his share of the family inheritance. The father gives no argument, accedes to his son's request. Brothers and sisters, when have we not done this before with our own Mom and Dads? 13 And not many days later, the younger son gathered
everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and
there he squandered his estate with loose living. And there is that word
that thumps into your soul: 'squander'! That 'I told you so' word
that seemingly remains unsaid until it is too late. Now here it is! From
the mouth of Jesus Himself! He so desires your attention! Does He have
it?
So now here is the revelation that was revealed to me while
I and I suspect you too were so busy focusing on the rebellious son.
Slam on the brakes folks it is about to get even more abrupt! The son is
not the only one in the story. How so quickly did we forget the
presence of the father which remained at home. We want to know about all
the particulars of the sons soon to be failed efforts. We are
slathering for all those juicy details. But the father has never
left the story. We probably just left the father behind just like the
son. Revelation (drum roll): It's all about the father who stayed at
home! You see as long as there's a loving Father, our squandered story's
never done!
In those best of times and in those very worst of times, our 'stay at home' Father God says: "I love you so much that I will always wait for you!" What a mess we all make of ourselves when we run from God, squander our lives, make a complete
waste of them. The wayward son reveals a side of God’s character which
most people do not know or dare to take the time to realize when they
are busy squandering themselves, and that is His Love (1 Corinthians 13). Father God's love does not depend in the least on how good you were before your abrupt departure, how badly you squandered or how many pigs you ended up slopping. The Father’s Love for us never leaves home!
Let Us Pray: Thank You for never giving up on me, O, Father. Thank you
that when I was abrupt and rebellious with you, so fully intent, so
fully committed to doing things in my own way, so utterly ready to
squander everything You ever gave me, that You will always wait
patiently for me. You will always Love me even while I'm so foolishly
engaged in hating myself. Thank You for always remaining at home. Thank
You for providing Your rebellious children with that last remaining
singular hope of always having a home to return to even if it can never
be our own where we were raised.
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Read: Luke 15:11 - 16, Psalm 136, Isaiah 43:1 - 7
There are some passages of Scripture that you just sometimes have difficulty trying to figure out - "Just what was on the Lord's mind when He said that?" Why does the Lord just seem to want to drop a bombshell on top of us when we might least expect it? There are times it seems that the Lord just goes 'hardcore' on our spirits. There are no pleasantries. There is just 'boom' - here it is folks! 'You will not like what I am about to lay on you, but here it is anyway. So get over it!' What is this business about God feeling the need to be so demanding, so abrupt with us? I so have allot of trouble with people who want to or feel the need to be abrupt and so utterly demanding with my time!
So we come to the wayward son who abruptly approaches his father and demands of him his share of the family inheritance. The father gives no argument, accedes to his son's request. Brothers and sisters, when have we not done this before with our own Mom and Dads? 13 And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living. And there is that word that thumps into your soul: 'squander'! That 'I told you so' word that seemingly remains unsaid until it is too late. Now here it is! From the mouth of Jesus Himself! He so desires your attention! Does He have it?
So now here is the revelation that was revealed to me while I and I suspect you too were so busy focusing on the rebellious son. Slam on the brakes folks it is about to get even more abrupt! The son is not the only one in the story. How so quickly did we forget the presence of the father which remained at home. We want to know about all the particulars of the sons soon to be failed efforts. We are slathering for all those juicy details. But the father has never left the story. We probably just left the father behind just like the son. Revelation (drum roll): It's all about the father who stayed at home! You see as long as there's a loving Father, our squandered story's never done!
In those best of times and in those very worst of times, our 'stay at home' Father God says: "I love you so much that I will always wait for you!" What a mess we all make of ourselves when we run from God, squander our lives, make a complete waste of them. The wayward son reveals a side of God’s character which most people do not know or dare to take the time to realize when they are busy squandering themselves, and that is His Love (1 Corinthians 13). Father God's love does not depend in the least on how good you were before your abrupt departure, how badly you squandered or how many pigs you ended up slopping. The Father’s Love for us never leaves home!
Let Us Pray: Thank You for never giving up on me, O, Father. Thank you that when I was abrupt and rebellious with you, so fully intent, so fully committed to doing things in my own way, so utterly ready to squander everything You ever gave me, that You will always wait patiently for me. You will always Love me even while I'm so foolishly engaged in hating myself. Thank You for always remaining at home. Thank You for providing Your rebellious children with that last remaining singular hope of always having a home to return to even if it can never be our own where we were raised.
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