April 19, 2025 Morning Devotional

Morning Devotion: Read Luke - The Parable of the Prodigal Son

Luke 15:11  And he said, A certain man had two sons: 12  And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. 13  And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. 14  And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. 15  And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16  And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. 17  And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18  I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, 19  And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. 20  And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet 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 unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. 22  But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: 23  And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: 24  For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

In this parable the prodigal son received his inheritance early and took it to a foreign country and waisted it with riotous living. Ending up in a pig’s stye and starving for food he “he came to himself” and realized that life was better with his father back at home. He also realized that he had sinned against heaven and his father by demanding his inheritance.

How often have men destroyed themselves because they have never come to the point in their lives where they realized they have lived in sin?

1John 1:8  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

1John 1:10  If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

The young man in our parable “came to himself” and knew what he needed to do. He had to go to his father and make things right. He knew he had to humble himself and confess his sins.

Do you realize that the best place to make reconciliation for our sins is the place where sin first began? Where is that place? In our parable the sin was against heaven and the father.

God tells is as born-again believers we can go to Him for forgiveness and restoration to righteousness.

1John 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

One great and wonderful truth revealed in our text is this. The father was still loving and waiting and watching for his son. God our Heavenly Father still loves and waits and watches for you.

Luke 15:20  And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.

My friend, in the parables of the lost sheep and the coin, we saw that God was seeking the sinner. In this parable the sinner realized his need and came to God.

God is still seeking each and every lost sinner; in fact, He sent His Only Begotten Son to seek and to save that which was lost.

The question is this, would you come to yourself and see your own sin and your own need to be saved? Would you go to the Father; he waits for you to make that decision.

Each and every person who has ever been saved, had to come to that place where they saw their need to be saved. Do you see the need?

Our God and Heavenly Father waits.

The pathway to the Father and to home is through His Son Jesus.

John 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

The choice is still yours,

Pastor Cook