Day 4 Will you turn and trust God?

The Lost Son

This is in the Bible in Luke Chapter 15

The Pharisees and teachers of the law, who thought they were very special were muttering and grumbling because Jesus was eating meals with people like tax collectors and sinners.
So Jesus told them this story.

‘There was a man who had two sons. One day the younger son asked his father for his share of the inheritance now! So the man divided his property between his two sons.

The younger son packed his bags and left with the money. He went to a country far away and there he wasted his money in wild living; drinking, eating and partying.

But it wasn’t too long until the money ran out. He couldn’t afford to go drinking, eating and partying anymore. He had to find a job. But the only job he could find was looking after pigs. He was desperate and so became a pig farmer. He not only looked after the pigs, but he was so hungry that he wanted to eat their food!

Then one day, the younger son came to his senses. He thought, “All my father’s servants have plenty to eat and here I am about to starve! I will get up and go back to my father and say, ‘Father, I have sinned against God and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as one of your servants’”. So, he got up, left the pigs and started the long journey back to his father. But while the son was still a long way from home, his father saw him coming in the distance. His heart was filled with love for his son, and he ran, threw his arms around his son and kissed him.

The son started to speak but the Father didn’t listen for long. He ordered his servants to put the best robe on his son and a ring on his finger. Then he had a party. He told everyone “This son of mine was dead. But now he is alive! He was lost. But now he is found!”

That’s a great story and showed the people listening that God is like the Father and loves us so much that he really wants us to return to Him.

I am sure the Tax Collectors and “sinners’ were really pleased to hear that! He loves us so much that when we come back to him, he is so happy he celebrates.

The question for us is: are we going to come back to God? If we return to God, he loves us so much he will welcome us back like the father welcomed his son! But the story doesn’t end there. Jesus said something else & this was specially spoken to the Pharisees & teachers of the law.

The elder son was working in the field when he heard music & dancing & wondered what was going on! A servant told him “Your brother has come home & your father is celebrating. Come into the party.”

But the elder son refused to go in to the party; even his father went out & asked him to come in. But the elder son said, “I have worked really hard for you & you never had a party for me & my friends; but when your son comes home who has wasted all your money you have a party!”

The father answered, “My son you are always with me & all I have is yours; but we had to have a party because this brother of yours was lost but now is found.” And Jesus ended his story there. We don’t know what the eldest son did. And we don’t know what the Pharisees did.

But the warning for us is to not be like the elder son and think God should only love good people. If we think we are good enough for God we won’t turn to Him and love him as we should.

God loves everyone and wants us all to come back to Him. He loves us so much that however bad we have been, if we come back to him, he WILL forgive us and welcome us as his friends.

And whenever anyone does that God is really, really happy.