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Luke 15 records three parables as told by Jesus – the parable of the lost sheep, the parable of the lost coin, and the parable of the lost son. All three parables give us insight about God’s love for the lost, and God’s love in general.
In the parable of the lost son, the youngest of a man’s two sons asks his father for his portion of his father’s estate. His father gives it to him. Luke 15:13 (NIV) states: Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. Not only does the son squander all he has, but later scriptures show the extent to which he has fallen, where he is now longing to eat what the pigs were eating.
The younger son would have eventually gotten his share of his father’s estate. But he did not want to wait. He was driven by greed. Even more, the son was not equipped to wisely handle what the father had given to him.
Someone may be asking: I am a believer so what does the parable of the lost son have to do with me. Here goes…
As believers, we must be aware that God knows us. And God knows the state of our heart. Jeremiah 17:10 (NKJV) tells us: I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings. God knows when we are truly ready to handle the responsibility, and whatever else comes along with receiving what God has promised to us. God alone knows whether, much like the son in the parable of the lost son, we will turn away from Him after we have gotten what we wanted.
Philippians 4:19 (NKJV) states: And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
God loves us and knows what we need. God can also provide what we
need out of His unlimited supply. Sometimes we have to wait to receive the fulfillment of God’s promises to us.
Waiting for God is not easy to do. It is even harder to do when we are not yet committed to subduing our flesh so that we can truly pursue God and His Will for our lives, no matter the cost.
Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV) states: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
When we are longsuffering, as in Galatians 5:22, we remain steadfast no matter what we have to give up, or change, as we press ahead in the
things of God. When we are longsuffering, despite all that we go through, we continue to live in a manner that honors God.
The longsuffering in Galatians 5:22 can only be evident in our lives if we allow the Holy Spirit to transform us.
With the help of the Holy Spirit, we come to know that God not only has a plan for our lives, but that the fulfillment of God’s promises to us fit neatly within that plan. We also come to know that the reward of our obedience to God is better than anything that the world has to offer.
With the help of the Holy Spirit, we come to know more and more about
God’s love. And we find joy in showing our love for God in the way we
willingly and obediently wait for God.
Colossians 3:5 (NIV) states: Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.
Except where indicated, scripture references are from the American
Standard Version (ASV), Darby Translation (DARBY), or King James
Version (KJV) – all public domain.
