This post is for those who are like me, an ex-prodigal, meaning that at some point in your walk with Christ you came to a fork in your road of life and went down a pathway God never intended you to go. The Bible is full of “ex-prodigals” who God has used mighty much! Look at Samson, look at David! Look at Noah! Look at Peter! Here is a newsflash –
WE ALL SIN
There are a couple of things I’d like to point out in the post. Isaiah 64:6 tells us:
“All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.”
Listen, no matter what you do – you CANNOT earn Heaven. Works do NOT earn you Heaven. The Bible tells us in Ephesians 2:8-9:
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”
It is because of God’s grace, God’s forgiveness, God’s mercy and God’s love that He left the glories of Heaven, came down, born of the virgin, Mary in the form of man (Jesus) to meet us RIGHT where we were/are at. That He lived a sinless life and died on the cross for forgiveness of our sins. That He rose from the grave, ascended into Heaven and EVEN now is seated at the right hand of the Father, interceding on our behalf.
NOW THAT IS LOVE
Let me clarify, Jesus shared a story, found in Luke 15:11-32 that I think is relevant to share with you below:
“There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
“Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ So he got up and went to his father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
“Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
“‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”
Perhaps you can relate, as a Christian who has made unwise choices at one time. (I speak from personal experience). But Holy Spirit turned you around and you repented. Can you imagine all the things that went through the prodigal son’s mind as he made the journey humbled, back home? All the conversations that he anticipated would be the result of his return? And yet the scripture says in Luke 15:20:
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.”
Your turning back to Christ, repenting elicits the SAME reaction from YOUR Heavenly Father. If I were speaking these words to you in person, I would cup your face in my hands, and look you straight in the eyes and tell you the truth:
YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER LOVES YOU!
Sometimes that truth is the hardest one for us to believe, yet it is true!
GOD LOVES YOU!
And He doesn’t love as we love. Sometimes it is hard for people, who did not have a healthy relationship with their earthly father, to comprehend God as a loving, caring, forgiving, merciful Father.
BUT HE IS!
The Bible tells us that if we repent of our sins (turn away from them) and we ask God for forgiveness, that in accordance with Micah 7:19:
“You will again show us compassion and wash away our guilt; you will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.”
It says in Psalm 103:12 He tells us:
“He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.”
I am writing this post to encourage you, ex-prodigal! I am writing this post to let you know that God can use YOUR mess to become a message to help others! That what you have learned through your own prodigal experience is one that if you allow Him, God will use you to help others not make the same mistake! God CAN be glorified in spite of any messes we make, as long as we repent and we ask Him to help us glorify Himself through our lives! Once God has forgiven you, sometimes the most difficult thing is forgiving yourself! Listen:
YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD IS JUST THAT – YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM!
It is not anyone’s right or business to judge you! (And there may be others who saw what you were like before or going through your prodigal time and feel that they are justified in judging you!) They are not! The Bible tells us in Romans 3:23:
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
It also says in Matthew 7:2-4:
“For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but fail to notice the beam in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”
God has called us to love people, not to judge them and at the same time, we need to extend the same grace to our selves.
HAVE YOU FORGIVEN YOURSELF?
It doesn’t matter what “people’s opinion” is of you. What matters is what God says, and His Word clearly tells us that if we repent of our sins, He will forgive us. And He does. If you read Matthew 7:6 it tells us:
“Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.”
Ephesians 6:12 tells us:
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
We aren’t arguing or fighting with people – the unsaved are just that, unsaved and the devil can use those we most love as weapons because he knows we love them. Don’t argue with people. Pray for them! Recognize who and what it is that you are battling, and react as Jesus would have you react – in love, having boundaries. We have an enemy, the devil, who would try to make us believe otherwise, but we would do well to remember that he also is called, “the accuser” and you may find in your dreams, in your thoughts that he will remind you of your sins. That he will harass you and try to remind you of your shortcomings. Recognize that this is NOT of God and rebuke it. Before you go to sleep, ask the Lord to protect your mind. Hold fast to the Word of God, which is (as in Ephesians 6) your Sword of Truth. God loves you, God is merciful, God is forgiving and God does NOT lie. If I have just described you, than pray with me:
“Father God, I thank You so much for sending Jesus to die on the cross for forgiveness of my sins. I thank You that when I repent You take my sins and throw them in the sea of forgetfulness. That You cover me with Jesus’ precious blood and that I stand before You redeemed. I am Your blood bought child and You tell me that NOTHING will remove me from Your hand! Thank You Father! Thank You Jesus! Thank You Holy Spirit! Father, if there is ANYTHING within me that displeases You, ANYTHING that I am not aware I need to repent of – I ask You please to reveal it and forgive me! Lord, I ask also that You help me to forgive myself! If the enemy is trying to trip me up by reminding me of my past mistakes, I pray that You send forth my waring angels to quiet him! I bind all accusations and hurl them far away from me in the name of Jesus! I plead the blood of Jesus over my life, over my mind, over my heart, over my soul and over my spirit! Father, please fill me with Your perfect peace. I thank You and I receive it! In Jesus’ precious name I pray – AMEN!”
Next time the enemy tries to have you remember what Your Father has told you he has forgotten, you remind Him of his future! Because YOU blessed redeemed one, are a child of the UTMOST HIGH GOD, who loved you enough to die for you! And You are precious in His sight. YOU belong to Him! \0/ \0/ \0/
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