When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have more than enough food, and here I am dying of hunger! I’ll get up, go to my father, and say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me one of your hired hands.’     Luke 15:17-19 HCSB

In the parable of the prodigal son, the youngest of two sons asks his father to give him his inheritance so he can leave home and live as he choose to live. The father obliges him and he leaves home and squanders his money on foolish living. The King James version calls it riotous living. In other words he partied probably spending his money on women and liquor. Now we all know that when money is being poured out, but none is coming in, you soon run out. He ran out of money and there was a famine in the land, a double whammy, if you will. He finds himself taking a job feeding a man’s pigs. He watched the pigs eat and thought that he would gladly eat the husks being fed to them, but no one fed him anything. Keep in mind, he’s a Jewish man tending pigs. This is not good. But, in addition to this, he’s literally starving to death. He’s reminds himself that his father’s employees have plenty of food to eat.

Our scripture passage says, “When he came to his senses”. He did not realize how foolish he had been until he came to his senses. I joke with my 16 year old niece about leaving home while she knows everything. I recall being 18 thinking I knew everything. I didn’t come to my senses until I was about 25 years old. And even then, just like those poor Israelites in the wilderness, I strayed from time to time. This young man comes to his senses and realizes that he has been foolish. He comes up with a plan. He will go to his father and humbly submit to him. He will tell him that he realizes he was wrong and has sinned against God and his father and he will ask his father to hire him as a hired hand. He will work for his dad and at least will have a place to stay and food to eat.  He decides to go home.

The best part of this story is when his father sees him coming, he rushes out to meet him. He is so happy to see that his son has come to his senses and come home. This is a picture of how our heavenly Father rejoices when we come to our senses and return to Him.

If you have taken what God has given you and decided to go out on your own with it, you might have come to your senses by now. Maybe you have decided to go home and are happy to be there. Maybe you are still out there spending what he has given you and have just begun to run a little short. Maybe you are in the pig trough and thinking you would be willing to eat what they eat because you are just so hungry. Whatever stage of the game you are in, come home.

If you have strayed from God and failed to use the talents He has given you, come home. If you have gotten carried away with your pride and been trying to do it your way, come home. If you are just sick and tired of being sick and tired, come home.

The invitation hymn Softly and Tenderly was written and composed by Will L. Thompson. The chorus says, “Come home, come home; You who are weary come home. Earnestly, tenderly Jesus is calling. Calling o’ sinner come home.”

In Matthew 11:28, Jesus says, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

If you have been doing it your way and that has not worked out so well for you, come home. Surrender and submit yourself to your Father. Trust in Him to take care of you. He wants nothing more. James 4:8 tells us to draw near to God and He will draw near to us. When He sees you coming to Him, He will run to meet you wherever you are.

I ran for many years and squandered my God given talent on foolish living. The best thing I ever did was give it all up to God and trust Him with it. Since that time, He has drawn me into Him. He has taken good, good care of me. He wants to do the same for you.

Have a great day!