Celebration takes place when God restores
Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.“ A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve... “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you. Luke 15:11-14, 17-18
From our text, Jesus told His disciples a parable about the Prodigal Son. Among the parables that Jesus told, this is probably the best known. Everyone who will read this parable can easily relate to the prodigal son because at one point in our lives, we decided that God has nothing to do with our lives. Then just like the prodigal son, we come to our senses and realize the folly of running away from God. In spite of the fact that we made a decision to accept Christ our Lord and Savior, we are still susceptible to rely on our own abilities in living out the life that Christ provided. God will not force His way to you and demand that you remain submissive. But God will not let you to completely walk away from Him and destroy your spiritual life. God will place hindrances in your path when He realized that the path you’re taking will lead you to destruction. His desire is to bring you to His fold and help you see the missed opportunities because you are not allowing Him to take control of your life. We do not have to continue to live as sinners. We can become responsible for our lives. We can quit our rebellious living. We can come home. Just like the prodigal son in our text, we should realize that our pursuit of enjoyment and satisfaction outside of the will of God will not result to a fulfilling life. This is why when he came to his senses and realized that without the Father he was lost. Without God in our life we are lost. The prodigal son repented of his sin and asked his father to bring him in to his fold. “I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you” (Luke 15:18). We have to realize our lost condition and admit it. We have to be on the lookout that we will not fall into temptations pursuing anything that has nothing to do with our relationship with God. Even if the opportunity is so appealing, if pursuing it will lead you to be outside the will of God, then you should not allow it to be the reason why you will turn away from God. Understand that the only place believers will find true happiness is when he or she remains in a trusting, obedient relationship with Jesus Christ.
