Daily Devotions

For today I would like to draw your attention to the Parable of the lost son recorded in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 15, verses 11-24. Verse 24 reads, “For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.”
Imagine the prodigal son looking at the pigs he was feeding. As he dropped pods into their pen, his stomach growled, and he realized they were eating better than he was (vs. 15-16). He was actually envying the hogs! Life couldn’t get much worse. The only alternative this young man could imagine was to return to his father in humiliation (vs. 18-19). You can imagine his joy as he returned home and found his father had not only forgiven him, but greeted him with open arms (vs. 20-24).
Likewise, no matter how far you have wandered from God, He has been waiting for your return, and His arms are open to you as well. You have not slipped too far away from Him – you can’t. The Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 2:13, “If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.” His grace is always available to lift you out of the pit of sin and defeat, back to victorious living.
So do not envy the pigs or give in to despair. Instead, run back to the Father. He desires to restore you by His grace and fill you with all of His goodness.
Prayer: “Lord, show me the ways I’ve strayed away from you and bring me back into the safety of Your love and protection. Thank You for always accepting me, amen.