A FRESH START
A new year speaks of a fresh start for all of us. Most of us hope that this will be a good year and that by the grace of God, it will be a year of better responses, better attitudes, and better words.
Most of us, if not all, are familiar with the Parable of the Lost Son as seen in Luke 15:11-24. It’s a story of a younger son who asked for his share of inheritance from his father. The father granted his son’s request and not long after, the younger son journeyed to a far country and wasted his possessions with prodigal living.
But when he had spent all his money, a severe famine arose in the country he was living in. He had no money and had nothing to eat so he had to get a job by feeding swines. He was so hungry that he even tried to eat the food that the swines were eating.
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When he came to himself, he realized that his father’s servants had better food to eat than he did. He then decided to come home to his father and ask him to be one of his servants. But when he was still a long way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.
He said to his father, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.” But the father said to his servants. “Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” And they began to be merry.
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In this story, we can see a fresh start of a relationship between a father and a son. For most of us, the story of the prodigal son is also our story. We all know one, have been one, and waiting for one to come home. God is our Father and we are the prodigal sons. There is a waywardness of heart that is part of us.
We are prone to wander no matter how well we have been raised up as it is part of our sinful nature. Just like the prodigal son, we also have the tendency to go as far as we could get away from God just to fulfill our own desires. We tend to squander the resources that He has entrusted to us and transform His goodness into something that is pleasurable and self-satisfying.
When the son spent all his money, he experienced a severe trial when a famine arose in the land he was living in. He began to be in want. Some of us view trials or problems as a curse. We sometimes think that it is God’s way of punishing us from our sins. But the truth is, trials are the mercy of God in our lives.
In the Scripture, it was the trial that brought the son back to his father. God lets us experience sicknesses, financial problems, tribulations, and challenges just to bring us closer to Him. He uses these things not to punish us but to help us realize that without Him, we cannot stand alone and we cannot make it in this life.
Without God, we might end up like the prodigal son, feeding the swine. In Luke 15:17, the son came to his senses and realized how wretched his life has become.
When God opens our eyes and lets us realize our sins, we experience godly sorrow and we are brought to true repentance.
In Luke 15:18-19, the son says: “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.” In this passage, the son was rehearsing what he wanted to say to his father because he knew that his relationship with his father was severed.
The focus in this story is not on the son, but on the father. The Scripture says, “But when he was still great way off, his father saw him and had compassion and ran and embraced him and kissed him” (Luke 15:20). This is the Heavenly Father to us – full of love, mercy and compassion.
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The son tried to say what he had rehearsed but his father didn’t even let him finish his statement. His father said, “Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found” (Luke 15:22-24). The prodigal son found himself in the arms of his father again.
Max Lucado said, “Mothers and fathers have a God-given ability to love their children regardless of imperfections. Not because the parents are blind. Just the opposite. They see vividly.” The parents see the imperfections of their children but they also see the value of their child. So does our God.
He sees us with the eyes of a Father. He sees our defects, errors, and blemishes. But He also sees our value.
That is why our Heavenly Father rejoices when His children return to Him.
All of us want to start the year afresh. We need to be thankful for the things that we have been given and the things that we do not deserve. Let us be thankful of what God has given us – life, health, mobility, togetherness with family, etc. Also, let us come to Him with a repentant heart.
Some of us might think that we are out of touch and away from God but let’s be reminded that our Heavenly Father always yearns for us to come back.
Let’s make that step of faith. The heart of our Father is a forgiving heart and He will draw us near. Let us draw near to our Father this 2017.
References:
Lucado, Max. “The Devotional Bible Notes: Experiencing the Heart of Jesus.” Olivetree 6+ Mobile Application. Accessed January 2017.
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