Father's Day 2016 is just around the corner. It's a day to honor our respective fathers. Of course it's good to honor him all year round; that should go without saying. With some fathers that may be a difficult task. However, with others it is most likely a joy.
How do we go about it? There are many ways, among them are: obeying, showing respect; helping in some way such as washing their car or clothes or even helping to prepare his hunting gear. Ha, ha.Here's a story of two sons and a father. The older son stayed home to help till the ground and and stay by the stuff. He appeared to be a very filial son.
The younger son was a whole different ball game altogether. He did not behave himself so well. He was rather greedy and rude. He demanded his inheritance from his father "asap" and ran away from home with his 'loot'. He wanted to be free of home encumbrances to do as he pleased, 'living it up'.
Most of you may already know this story which can be found in the New Testament of the Bible in Luke 15:11-32. The younger son did not want to obey or respect his father. He said, "Give me...now!" So rude. So disrespectful!
The Father loved this son just as much as he loved the older 'obedient' son but he knew his younger son needed to learn a lesson. So he gave his son all that $$. The younger son grabbed it and galloped away. He did not share with his family rather ran far, far away from home.
Oh he had a glorious time at first. He spent $$ here. He spent $$ there. He ate and drank and laughed. He got lots of friends and they ate, drank, and laughed together with him. It was one big party.
Sound like fun? No parents. No need to listen and obey. Just play and have fun.
Uh...oh! His pockets and wallet are empty!! NO MORE MONEY!!
All those 'friends' deserted him. They did not want to be friends anymore. They were not true friends. They had only wanted the food, drink and laughs.
Now look at him. No more $$. No more friends. No more food. The younger son got hungry. He got hungrier and hungrier. And hungrier!!
Do you think he wanted to repent and go home?
NOPE! He's still thinking he can "do it himself".
He got a job feeding pigs!! He was so hungry he even wanted to eat the pig's food. What an awful place to find himself; in a pigsty!!
Only now he begins to think of how bad he'd been. "I have done wrong. I was greedy. That's wrong. I was rude to my Dad. That's wrong. I was NOT obedient. I did not share. I did not respect my Dad. That's wrong. That's SIN!!
What should he do now?
He decided to go home and tell his father, "Father I did wrong. I sinned against God and you. I'm very sorry. Please forgive me, Daddy!! I should no longer be your son. Let me be one of your servants."
You see...God turned the son's heart to the father. He needed his father.
So the younger son trudged on home...he walked and he walked and he walked back home.
What did the father do?
Did he get a big stick to beat some sense into him? Show his anger at the son for being so greedy, rude, disrespectful and disobedient?
NO!! He didn't do that at all!
The father loved the son every bit as much as he did the stay-at-home elder brother. He loved him and had been watching for him to come home.
That day he was rewarded for his lookout vigilance. His son was coming back. The son's clothes were ragged and smelly. His face was streaked with dirt. He looked really skinny and hungry. He had no shoes.
The father ran and ran to meet his son and gave him a great big hug! The father kissed the son. He knew his son had learned a lesson.
God turned the father's heart to the son's heart.
The son was still far away but he did see his Dad running and running towards him. He was glad but he still had to say sorry to his father. When his father hugged him he said, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son!" Don't call me son anymore, Papa.
But God had turned the father's heart to the son's heart.
The father did not punish him. The father said to the servants: "Bring the best robe. Bring the ring. Bring the sandals. Go get ready...we are going to have a welcome home party for my younger son; he's home. He's home! He's home!!
So God turned the father's heart to his son and the son's heart to the father's.
God is our heavenly Father. He has turned His heart to you. He wants you to know that He loves you very much but that you are also a sinner. You have done wrong. He wants you to come to Him in repentance. Turn your heart towards God. Accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of your life. If you already belong to Him but have drifted away, there is still time to turn your heart back to Him. Do it today and have a truly wonderful connection with Him.
God will have a party in Heaven with His angels over one sinner who repents (Luke 15:7, 10). Turn your hearts to Jesus today.
Are you right with God?
May you also be right with your own respective earthly father no matter what they've done. No matter whether you are a son or a daughter and no matter what you have done. Forgiveness is one of the most difficult things to do but with God all things are possible (Mark 10:27).
I want to conclude with the verse from Malachi 4:6 a, b.
Connect your hearts with your father and with your children this Father's Day and beyond...
Have a HAPPY FATHER'S DAY all you Dad's out there!
~ERC 2016~
Bibliography
God and the Ancient Chinese by Samuel Wang and Ethel R. Nelson, Read Books Publisher (1998)
No comments:
Post a Comment