Have you read the story about the “Prodigal Son” in the book of Luke, chapter 15? This is about a younger son who asked his father to give him his share of the property which belongs to him. After he got all his share, he journeyed to a far country. The story tells us that this younger son squandered all his resources in reckless living. And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country where he was, and he began to be in need.
He began to look and to find a means to survive living. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. He started pitying himself and remembered the abundance back home with his father.
The younger son then came to his senses and thought of coming back home. His father have many hired servants and have more than enough bread. But here, he was in a foreign country and perishing in hunger. He has to decide whether or not to continue living and get back home, or his pride would eat him up and die in hunger and want.
This younger son arose and went back to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. His son asked forgiveness to his father and before the Lord, acknowledging of his own mistakes . . . that he was not worthy anymore to be called his son.
But instead, the father said to his servants to bring quickly the best robe and put it on his son, and put a ring on his finger, and shoes on his feet. His father ordered to bring the fattened calf and butcher it, and have a great feasting and celebrate the coming back of his son who was dead and now here he is alive again. He was lost and now he is found.
The story of the prodigal son is actually our own story before the God of Creation. Once, we were all gone astray and lost before the presence of the Lord. It was our sins that made us separated from God. We went our own way and live a kind of live apart from God’s presence. We live a separated life and allowed ourselves to be enticed with the wiles of the world.
However stubborn we were then, God never ceased knocking at the very door of our hearts and invited us to come back to Him. Until such time we can no longer contain living alone and being pressed with so much burdens, and there’s no way out . . . but getting back to God. He is always there to console us and wholeheartedly accept us, no matter what we have done with our past life, the Lord forgives and forgets. Remember that nothing lasts!!!
To me, it’s always great to see somebody make a comeback from the brink of oblivion and defeat! There’s an inspiration in watching this happen on such a scale. But this is a possibility for every person who has been subjected to the pounding of life. Knowing that living in this world is seemingly not fair! Life is not fair, yes! But there also is no gain without pain or loss. Toughness is the mental attitude needed more than any other to make a comeback . . . this combined with faith are two elements that will allow us to have the attitude of a “pride-free” comeback!
For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory:
no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. Psalm 84: 11
Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me
a willing spirit, to sustain me. Ps. 51: 12
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