Coming to your senses

Luke 15:17-24 (God’s Word)

“Finally, he came to his senses. He said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more food than they can eat, while I’m starving to death here?  I’ll go at once to my father, and I’ll say to him, “Father, I’ve sinned against heaven and you. I don’t deserve to be called your son anymore. Make me one of your hired men.” ’ “So he went at once to his father. While he was still at a distance, his father saw him and felt sorry for him. He ran to his son, put his arms around him, and kissed him. Then his son said to him, ‘Father, I’ve sinned against heaven and you. I don’t deserve to be called your son anymore.’  “The father said to his servants…. ’My son was dead and has come back to life. He was lost but has been found.’ Then they began to celebrate.

“He came to his senses”……..does not that describe most people who make dumb or wrong decisions in life and eventually “see the light”?  This prodigal son thought he knew what to do with his life that started with his rebellion against his father/family, took off for what he figured would be a much better and much more fun lifestyle, and wasted everything he had that included half his father’s fortune.  Don’t most of us do something like this at some point in our lives?  Maybe not as frivolous or expensive or rebellious, but still thinking that you knew what to do better than anyone else and you would do it your way?  You may still be a prodigal right now or maybe you forgot how you were at a younger age, or perhaps you have other prodigals in your family—children and/or grandchildren. 

When the prodigal son came to his senses, he sobered up.  He realized finally that the “grass is not greener”, that he gave up too much, that he was foolish, that he didn’t appreciate how good he used to have it and now doesn’t have anything.  His failures gave him a whole new perspective on life and about his life specifically.  Luke 15:17-24 focuses on the compassion of the father who represents God.  Note that the father was looking for his son, otherwise why would he have seen his son at a distance?  When people are sinning and rebelling against God, He does not look away, He is always looking for the time when His people finally see the errors of their ways and return to Him.  Of course, many never do. 

Then, when the father saw his son at a distance, he did not wait for his son to come to him, but he ran to his son.  Imagine God the Father running to you when you made the decision to come to Him.  You’ve heard the expression “God is never in a hurry, but never late”, yet this imagery of the father running to greet his repentant son contradicts that expression.  Have you ever heard the words to the song “When God Ran” written by Benny Hester?     

Almighty God, The Great I Am, Immovable Rock, Omnipotent, Powerful, Awesome Lord, Victorious Warrior, Commanding King of Kings, Mighty Conqueror and the only time, The only time I ever saw Him run, was when...

He ran to me, He took me in His arms, Held my head to His chest, said "My son's come home again!" Lifted my face, Wiped the tears from my eyes, with forgiveness in His voice He said "Son, do you know I still love You?"  He caught me by surprise, When God ran...

The day I left home, I knew I'd broken His heart. And I wondered then, if things could ever be the same. Then one night, I remembered His love for me. And down that dusty road, ahead I could see, It was the only time, it was the only time I ever saw Him run. And then...He caught me by surprise. And He brought me to my knees. When God ran... I saw Him run to me.

And what did the father do after he ran to greet his son?  He put his arms around his son, he kissed him, and he hosted a celebration.  The son protested, said that he did not deserve anything his father was doing, but the father celebrated anyway.  Why?  Because his lost son was found.  His wayward son came to his senses and came home.  His son was dead to everyone and everything except his own selfishness, yet he realized his terrible mistakes and decided to come home.  To come home meant that he had come back to life.  To come home to God means that you have rejected what the world offers (fun for awhile, but unfulfilling in the long run) and have chosen the abundant and eternal life that God offers. 

That’s why God and His angels celebrate every time someone chooses to give up following the world and its evil, asks for forgiveness and returns to the right relationship with God.  God created mankind to have a relationship with Him, not to reject Him.

Romans 8:1 (Amplified Bible) exclaims: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live and walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit.”  Read also Ephesians 2:12-13. You can live a life as bad or worse than the prodigal son (as Paul wrote about himself in Romans 7), yet once you choose to come back to God and believe in Jesus Christ as your Savior, nothing you have done in your past will be held against you and nothing you do as a Christian as long as you ask for forgiveness every day will ever be held against you.  That’s how unfathomably awesome is the mercy, forgiveness, compassion, and love of the Father for His children.