“Stay In The Father’s Presence!!!”
Luke 15:11-24
11. And he said, A certain man had two sons:
12. And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.
13. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.
14. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.
15. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
16. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.
17. And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
18. I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
Consider this:
v. 12 “give me”
These two words clearly shows us that whatever it is that is about to be asked for is not actually his to begin with and may not have been earned either. Notice that he is requesting his portions of his father’s earnings and wealth, but it is never pointed out that he ever did anything to earn what he has requested. How much does this actually describe us today? How much do we ask GOD for that we know we really do not deserve? This verse outlines the principle of Grace for us to see in that something has the possibility of being given that obviously has not been earned by the person that is asking for it or that it will be bestowed upon!
v. 12 “he divided unto them”
This phrase points out to us that the father did not merely grant the younger son what he requested but also practiced the principle of fairness by giving just as much to the older son who had not made the request! This should serve as an example that it is right to treat everyone with the same manner of respect and not be driven by biased or preconceived notions!
v. 13 “not many days after”
How many times have we made countless mistakes all because we did not take the ample time to properly figure out what the best course of action was? We often make the wrong decisions when we move too fast and have not consulted GOD as to what would be the best thing to do in a situation! (Proverbs 3:5-6)
v. 13 “into a far country”
No doubt this young man wanted o get as far away from home as he possibly could! He may have even been trying to get away from anyone that knew him, his father, or anyone associated with his father! Why is it that when we decide we want to do something that might not be pleasing to our Father that we do as this young man and try to get as far away from His presence and the presence of His people as we think we can get? This young man no doubt settled somewhere where he was assured that his father was not known so he could do whatever he wanted to do. We, however, tend to forget that we can not go anywhere that the Presence of GOD is not already there! (Psalms 139:7-12)
v. 13 “wasted his substance with riotous living”
There is definitely no doubt in this verse that this type of living must have not been tolerated in his father’s house! It is amazing what we will do when we are left to ourselves to try and discover who we really are individually! His esteem, though false, is high at this point and he does not have a care in the world but to make sure that he satisfies his flesh in whatever ways he can! We should also be able to see ourselves in this scenario also, though it may be in a very different way! When we decide to do things like we want to do them and not how GOD has said it to be done, we also waste not only our substance but ourselves as well only to find…….
v. 14 “when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land”
Analyze this verse carefully and it should be noticed that the famine apparently inflicts only the land where he is dwelling! Also notice that the famine, amazingly, did not start until after he had wasted all of what he came to this land with! It is often mind-boggling to consider past troubles and how many of them came along at a time when we were not prepared to deal with them in one way or another (though we may have been not long before the troubles arrived)! The famine not only catches him at a time where he has nothing left, but also at a time where he has ventured as far away from home as he could get! When he left home, he meant to go as far away as he did never stopping to consider that he would ever need to go back home for any reason. How many times have we wasted what GOD has Blessed us with doing stuff that GOD did not lead us to do with the Blessing only to end up needing that substance (whatever it may have been) at a time soon after when we no longer have it???
v. 14 “he began to be in want”
Please understand that too many times we tend to let our wants be over-emphasized to a point where we minimize our needs to attain what is not needed! However, when we do this, it leaves us with a void of necessity that can not be easily filled! This is usually the point where it becomes most clear to us that what we now lack is what we had access to but did not use properly! Do you think that this young man would be willing to give back all of the physically gratifying stuff that he spent his substance on just to sustain himself at this crucial time? Is there a lesson from his example and our past mistakes that we can learn for the future?
v. 15 “joined himself”
Isn’t it amazing how trouble and hard times will cause people to literally do what they may have never even imagined themselves as even doing? He left the daily provision of his father’s house only to end up searching for someone that he is hoping can provide for him at this point in his life! Also, if we keep reading we will notice that the assignment he is given to earn a living does not even afford him a decent treatment. He ends up being sent to more than one field to feed swine (pigs) as his daily job!
v. 16 “no man gave unto him”
In the first part of this verse, this younger son is seen to be yearning to eat the same husk (from the carob “locust” tree used in goldsmith work and also as a form of lumber) that the swine were eating! How low of a state he must have been at this point knowing that he had gone from eating the best of food to almost not being able to eat at all! Also notice that at the beginning of this parable, the father gave to him, but in this verse no man will give him anything!
v. 17 “when he came to himself”
This is the point where even when we read this we should be yet thanking GOD that He never leaves us alone! He always is showing us (His people) what we could be and even reminds us of what we once were with Him when we get to the lowest points of life without Him! This young man had a flashback of life in the father’s house and in the father’s presence! He stopped to remember that he is the one that got himself to this point but he, by bloodline, once was much more than possibly even the citizen whom he turned to for help! He also remembered that, in his father’s house, there were people whom were hired as servants who had no relation to the father but were there only to receive wages that had access to the many things that he no longer has in his current state! Now he is starting to see just how much he took for granted when he left his father’s presence! He had let people who probably did not even care for his father (no further than their paychecks) live better than him though he was rightfully a son! Too many times we often ask the question why is it that those who do not even stop to acknowledge GOD seem to live better than we do! The answer may simply be that though we are children of GOD we are so busy trying to do what they are doing and get what they are getting that we lose focus and take for granted whom we really are as well as whom our Father really is! We often make the mistake of failing to live as Kingdom heirs & people trying to make a mark in living according to worldly standards!
Let that marinate for a while………
v. 18 “I will arise and go to my father…”
Have you taken out the time in your life to return back to the Father??? If not, why not? When were you planning on doing it? What does it take for you to stop holding out and come back to the loving arms of GOD??? It is amazing to note that the number “5” has been often referred to as the number of Grace because it represents the 5 piercings that JESUS endured on the cross at Calvary for our sins (1 hole in each Hand, 1 hole in each Foot, and 1 hole in His side)!! I was in pure awe when I considered the father of this text in verse 20. He accomplished one loving feat in 5 (the proposed number of Grace) steps:
1. “…his father saw him…”
2. “…and had compassion…”
3. “… and ran…”
4. “…and fell on his neck…”
5. ”… and kissed him…”
If you keep reading, you will discover that the father did not even give the son a chance to fully say what he had intended to say, but immediately began ordering the celebration of his return! The entire text of chapter 15 illustrates in 3 parables given by JESUS the sheer celebration that is usually experienced when what is lost has been found! JESUS also points out in verses 7 & 10 that Heaven absolutely rejoices over a sinner that is lost but eventually repents unto GOD for the forgiveness of their sins! If you or someone that you know has not repented, there is never a better time to do it than right now! How does one repent? Well the Bible makes it very clear in Romans 10:9-10:
“9. That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
Therefore, it is time for you, your family, friends, and whomever else you may know of to repent and confess JESUS CHRIST as Lord and Savior as well as believe in their hearts that GOD raised Him from the dead, thus, making Him LORD over everything!!! What better gift can be given to everyone than the gift of Eternal Life in GOD through JESUS???
Be Blessed in the LORD JESUS CHRIST!!!!!!!
