30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
Luke 15 11-32 To seek and the save the lost - The prodigal son 17 Get up…return
📖 Luke 15:11-32
28Feb2020 - *Get up…return* - _Luke 15:11-32_ - Bible reading: _Isaiah 55:6-7_
_Luke 15:20-21 “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. (21) And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.'_
We have thus far seen the turnaround process of the younger son. The first step was the dethroning of the self. He had earlier made his decision to leave his father but now the self was being denied and he said, “I will arise and go…”. The next beautiful step was that he said, “…my father…’”. He was acknowledging and coming back to a relationship of a son, which he had cast aside. The third step was that within the relationship with his father, he confessed that he had caused pain to his father. In causing pain to his father, he also acknowledged that it was sin against God. Fourthly, though in his heart he was returning to his father, in his mind, he was convinced that he had no more rights to anything. So, he was deciding to come back, to be cast upon his father’s grace and on his mercy.
God’s intention is, because of us, beneficiaries of God’s grace and mercy, people around us will believe in Jesus and enter eternal life.
The turnaround process was complete but now came the *moment of action*. We see that *he arose and came* to his father. This action is required for each of us. Wherever we may be in life, we need to be constantly getting up and returning to our heavenly Father. God is constantly correcting and sanctifying us. This is a lifelong process. We may accept the teaching of the Lord in our heart and mind but if we do not get up and return to the Lord, then the convictions in our hearts is pointless.
Moses made it clear to the people that they must return to the Lord. _Deuteronomy 30:1-4 "Now it shall come to pass, when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the LORD your God drives you, (2) and you return to the LORD your God and obey His voice, according to all that I command you today, you and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul, (3) that the LORD your God will bring you back from captivity, and have compassion on you, and gather you again from all the nations where the LORD your God has scattered you. (4) If any of you are driven out to the farthest parts under heaven, from there the LORD your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you._
_Isaiah 55:6-7 Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. (7) Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon._
Joshua made it clear to the people that they need to choose, whom they will serve. _Joshua 24:14-15 “Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD! (15) And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."_
If we and our families must serve the Lord, it requires that we need to constantly get up and return to Jesus in those areas of our lives, where He is correcting us. If we don’t, our turnaround is useless.
Ruth went with Naomi but Orpah decided to stay. _Ruth 1:15-16 And she said, "Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law." (16) But Ruth said: "Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God._
*Thought to ponder*
```Are you hesitating in not getting up and returning to the Lord, in those areas of your life, in which He has convicted you? Will you obey? If you don’t, claiming to be a child of God is meaningless```