Our choices help shape and sculpt our lives. It is true, that others do things to us, or against us, that we have no control over. I am not talking about those instances where we are living right, loving God, and keeping a relationship with Him and things happen.
I am not talking about those things.
What I am talking about today is when we make choices that we know are not good. Choices that we know are going in the wrong direction. Yet, we choose to do them anyway. We know, and sense even, that it is the wrong thing to do.
These choices take us further away from God. These choices separate us and even potentially open the doors to things that wouldn't have ever happened otherwise. BUT, hope is not lost. Stay with me now. It is not a simple coincidence that you ran across this today and then were curious enough to open it and read it.
There is a scripture in the Bible that sums this up pretty completely. It is a "picture" of our relationship with God. You see, there were two sons who lived with their Father. The Father gave them both everything they ever needed, but the younger one wanted his inheritance early. He took it, then left home, focused on himself and the greed that consumed him. He focused on what his desires wanted, and doing everything he could think of that was wild and wrong. He made choices that ultimately landed him living on the streets, in a pig pen, eating the food that the pigs ate out of the pig trough.
That's pretty low, right? I mean....GROSS! Can you imagine? Down in the mud and the muck, dirty, wet, and eating leftover pig slop that had pig buggers and slobber all in it. And I mean, think about it, pigs are NOT the cleanest animals out there. So this guy must have been pretty low.
Here is the great thing. Even though HE walked away from everything good he had. Even though he took his gifts, his inheritance, and treated it as nothing and squandered it all away. He eventually came to his senses. He eventually realized that what he had before was greater than he had ever realized and he wanted it back.
Scripture tells us that as he was walking back home, his Father was waiting and watching for him. Watching for him. When the Father saw him, He ran to him, grabbed him up in His arms and clothed him in the finest clothes, a ring, and shoes for his feet. Then He threw a party for him. A celebration.
That's right. No yelling. No condemnation. No anger.
If this is you today, you didn't read this by accident. God is speaking to you through this. He is telling you, "I love you. I haven't left you. I am here. I am waiting with open arms. Come and let me draw you up close unto myself. Come home. I miss you."
If you want to read this scripture for yourself it is in the Bible. It is found in the Book of Luke chapter 15 verses 11 through 32.
I pray this has blessed you today and brought some comfort and some answers into your life. If you know of someone else that this might bless, please pass it on. Thanks.