All tagged prodigal

The Lost, the Prodigal, and Returning Home

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Finding the Lost

When we recall the parable of the prodigal Son it is easy to forget that there were two sons, the one who squandered his inheritance and yet was welcomed home, and the son who remained steadfastly at his father’s side. Which one of these best describes you? The prodigal son gives us hope in our Father’s love when we are lost, or are frivolous with our faith, but the dependable son never lost his inheritance and never left his father’s side. Who would you rather be? Who would the prodigal son have wanted to be as he travelled the road home?

The Loom of Trouble, Faith, and the Prodigal Son

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Faith and the Prodigal Son

We can get caught up in the business of our worldly life to the point where we forget about God, and Jesus Christ, altogether; it is like driving to work and suddenly realizing that we can’t remember how we got to where we are. It is a scary feeling, and so is traveling through our spiritual lives and suddenly realizing that we have gone a great distance without a conscious thought of the Lord. Trouble can do many things like breaking our pride, and it can humble us before the Lord; it can bring us to our knees in prayer, but it can also gently stop us and cause the love within us to well up and flow forth in prayer… and thusly return our thoughts to our Heavenly Father.

Israel, the Prodigal Son, and Us

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Returning to God

Our Father doesn’t like to lose a single soul, not even those that turn their backs on Him to worship other gods. If we have turned away, and our god has become money He will take it from us. If our god has become our beauty He will strip us of our youthful looks and fine clothes, and if our possessions have become our gods, He will cause them to break, wither, and vanish. He doesn’t do these things because He hates us, no, He does them to bring us back to Him… because He loves us. Have we become like these who once loved Him, but who have now turned our backs on Him as a people, country, or a person? Have we made the gifts of the world our idols and gods? Are we pursuing earthly loves, and left our One True God behind, alone? Well He still desires to have us return to Him, and will lead us into a desert place where there is nothing left to worship, or love, but Him. There, in that desolate place, He will woo us, bless us, and love us, as if we had never spurned Him, or turned away.