by Mark Nickles
Luke 15:11-24 contains perhaps one of the most well-known parables in the Bible, the prodigal son. In it, a young man asks his father for his inheritance, so that he may be the master of his own destiny, so to speak. Soon, however, he runs into serious problems, and learns that his own desires led him to a dark place. We can learn much from this story.
First, we learn that security for the future is found only in God. Just a few verses into the story, the young man has spent all he has and found himself suffering due to “a severe famine” in the land. Had he stayed under his father’s roof, he would have lacked nothing. Much the same, when we leave the safety of God’s will for us, we risk much. Philippians 4:19 says that God can supply all of our needs, through Christ. However, when we choose to seek our own will and desires rather than His, we risk all of that. Our future is secure only in Him.
This passage also shows us the complete degradation which sin brings. Shortly after the son begins living on his on terms, he finds himself in the low position of feeding pigs, an animal which his people could not even eat, as it was considered unclean. What’s more, he found himself hungry for what the pigs ate. It doesn’t get much lower than that. When we seek to indulge our every whim, surrendering our lives to our own desires, we end up being degraded by sin.
We also learn that sin robs us of proper understanding. The more we indulge in it, the less wisdom we have. Verse 17 tells us that the reason he returned to his father’s house was that he “came to himself”. This means that he came to his senses. Returning to, and remaining within the Father’s will is always the wisest course.
Finally, we see that true repentance brings complete restoration. When the son returns to his father, ready and willing to assume the role of servant, his father reinstates him with the full privileges of an heir. Much the same, God stands ready to forgive the repentant sinner, and give him or her the full honors of an heir of God and co-heir with Christ.
Even after indulging in sin, believing they know better than God, and facing the difficult consequences of their indulgence, the prodigal finds that God has not abandoned them, but stands ready to restore them upon their repentance. What a wonderful truth! Do you need to return to Him, today? Rest assured, you can do so with confidence in His acceptance!
Mark Nickles is a husband, father of three, and a pastor in Northeastern Oklahoma. Copyright, Mark A. Nickles.
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