Coming to Our Senses

July 11

(Luke 15:11-20 NIV) ““Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. {12} The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them. {13} "Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. {14} After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. {15} So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. {16} He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. {17} "When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! {18} I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. {19} I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' {20} So he got up and went to his father.””

Being a prodigal is not as easy as it looks. You must be willing to engage in “deficit living” in a distant country until you have squandered your entire inheritance and end up starving in a filthy pigsty. You must accept that you will eventually find yourself penniless and friendless and living in a slop hole. Sounds like fun, right? Prodigals start out wanting fun and freedom, but most end up in pain and bondage. Sin will always take you further than you wanted to go, keep you there longer than you wanted to stay, and cost you more than you wanted to pay. Hitting bottom is an unpleasant experience, but tends to get your attention. This is what it did to the prodigal. He came to his senses and decided to head home to his father. That’s still a wise choice for anyone who has squandered their life and ended up in a pigsty. Come to your senses and head home to your heavenly Father. Do it today! -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day