Please read Part 1 if you were not here last week.
And the father kept watching.
Every morning, before he did anything else, he would look down the road for his son. At noon, while out in the fields, he would wipe the sweat from his brow and look down the road. And the last thing he did at night before he closed the front door was look out again and ask God to bring his son home.
But his son was far from home. He had walked until he was in a far country where no one knew him, where no one could carry reports of what he was doing back to his family. There he enjoyed spending his new wealth. He made many new friends and bought them dinner and drinks. He bought nice things for the pretty young women he met. He had plenty of money, so this lasted for quite some time. But finally his money ran out. And when his money was gone, much to his surprise, his friends were, too.
About the same time a famine hit the land. Food became expensive. He sold his fine clothes, gold chains and jeweled rings just to pay for something to eat. In the end he sold his shoes for a small loaf of bread.
He tried begging. When that didn’t work, he took a job feeding pigs. Hungry and alone he sat out in the field watching the pigs gobble down carob pods. He wished he had pods to eat. But no one gave him anything.
What he did have was plenty of time to think.
“What am I doing here?” he thought. “This is dumb! Back home the servants are eating all they want and I am sitting here starving to death.”
It did not take him long to decide he would return home, admit he had been wrong and ask his father to let him work as a hired servant.
So he left the far country and headed back to the farm.
(To be continued)
The son doesn’t know his father has been longing for him to come home, but he does know his father’s character. What do you think there is about his father that motivates the son to go back?
What do you know about the character of God?
If you knew God the Father loves you like this farmer loves his son, would you go to him?
The prophet Jeremiah wrote this:
“For I know what I have planned for you,” says the LORD. “I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you. I have plans to give you a future filled with hope.”
Hope to see you back here next week for the homecoming.
Scripture quoted:Jeremiah 29:11 (NET Bible)
Hope Walking 