Revealing Jesus with Darlene ZschechSample

A Squandered Estate

God loves us so much that He does not demand our love and obedience in return. Even if we choose to be foolish and run far away from Him, He allows it. This younger son demanded and received his share of the family’s wealth and burned through it as fast as he could. He squandered it in a distant country. His situation turned so desperate that this Jewish young man who was to abstain from pork ended up in a pigsty: “He went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him” (vv. 14–16).

What a mess we make of our lives when we run from God. It’s not just the young son, it’s all of us. The good news is that the story is not finished. As long as we have breath we have hope, no matter what we’ve done or how low we’ve sunk. Even when we are working in a pigsty and jealous of what the swine have to eat. Never forget that there is still hope for you and for the prodigal sons that you meet in life. It is so easy to judge and give up on others: “They’ve messed up too badly this time. They’ll never change. There is no hope for them.”

As long as there is a loving father—and in God, we certainly have a loving Father—the story is not finished. There is hope.

Thank you for not giving up on me, O Father. Thank you that when I was rebellious and intent on doing things my own way, you waited patiently for me. Thank you that there is hope for all who draw breath.

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