“Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate” (Luke 15:23 NIV).
Have you ever had a moment when you realized a detail in a story was something you needed to pay attention to? A detail so significant that it changed the way you viewed the story all together? Like the first time you had the thought while watching The Sixth Sense, “Wait, I could have sworn at least one other person had talked to Bruce Willis this whole time?”
Well, that was me while rereading the story of the Prodigal Son a few weeks ago.
I would classify this story as a “Tried and True” story when it comes to describing God’s love for us, how we typically can identify with one of the brothers, and how we celebrate the “lost being found.”
But while I was rereading it, envisioning the younger brother on the verge of eating with the pigs, and then the dad’s robe flapping in the wind, I felt like God highlighted one single word that made me rethink this story all together. And maybe even rethink God’s love for me.
Famine.
When you think of this story, do you remember there being a famine in the land? I think I’d eventually remember, but it’s not the first or most significant detail that comes to mind.
And when you think about the dad running to meet the younger brother, what’s the next thing the dad does? He throws a party.
In the midst of a famine.
God made this significant detail jump off the page at me while also uncovering a thought I didn’t realize I have - I don’t always believe God loves me enough to do something as extreme as throwing a party in the midst of a famine.
There have been (and will continue to be) times where I’ve been like the younger brother, selfish and reckless, and there have been (and will continue to be) times where I’ve been like the older brother, prideful and bitter.
I apparently needed the reminder that it’s not up to me to determine if the amount of love God has for me is an appropriate amount, regardless of how extreme that feels.
All throughout Scripture, we see that God is a God of extremes. Not only do we see a party thrown during a famine, we see a valley of dry bones turn into an army, the blind see, and we see a Son giving His life so that the world would know how loved we are by God.
Be encouraged today that you’re not just loved. You are Dad-running-robe-flapping-party-during-famine loved.
Today and every day.
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“Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate” (Luke 15:23 NIV).
Have you ever had a moment when you realized a detail in a story was something you needed to pay attention to? A detail so significant that it changed the way you viewed the story all together? Like the first time you had the thought while watching The Sixth Sense, “Wait, I could have sworn at least one other person had talked to Bruce Willis this whole time?”
Well, that was me while rereading the story of the Prodigal Son a few weeks ago.
I would classify this story as a “Tried and True” story when it comes to describing God’s love for us, how we typically can identify with one of the brothers, and how we celebrate the “lost being found.”
But while I was rereading it, envisioning the younger brother on the verge of eating with the pigs, and then the dad’s robe flapping in the wind, I felt like God highlighted one single word that made me rethink this story all together. And maybe even rethink God’s love for me.
Famine.
When you think of this story, do you remember there being a famine in the land? I think I’d eventually remember, but it’s not the first or most significant detail that comes to mind.
And when you think about the dad running to meet the younger brother, what’s the next thing the dad does? He throws a party.
In the midst of a famine.
God made this significant detail jump off the page at me while also uncovering a thought I didn’t realize I have - I don’t always believe God loves me enough to do something as extreme as throwing a party in the midst of a famine.
There have been (and will continue to be) times where I’ve been like the younger brother, selfish and reckless, and there have been (and will continue to be) times where I’ve been like the older brother, prideful and bitter.
I apparently needed the reminder that it’s not up to me to determine if the amount of love God has for me is an appropriate amount, regardless of how extreme that feels.
All throughout Scripture, we see that God is a God of extremes. Not only do we see a party thrown during a famine, we see a valley of dry bones turn into an army, the blind see, and we see a Son giving His life so that the world would know how loved we are by God.
Be encouraged today that you’re not just loved. You are Dad-running-robe-flapping-party-during-famine loved.
Today and every day.
Written by
ACF Devo Team
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