As Stan and I were enjoying breakfast together at the Twelve Baskets Cafe, he said, “Earlier this morning in my journaling time I was again focusing on the story of the prodigal son. It reminded me of what I was told once about living the new life I’ve been given through Christ and His finished work on the cross.”
“Were you a prodigal?” I asked.
“Aren’t we all?” He responded with a smile. “Don’t we all tend to waste what we’ve been given by God? It seems to me that we do, but such wasting is not what I want to talk about this morning.”
“What do you want to talk about?”
“The importance of coming to our senses, repenting, beginning to live the new life we’ve been given, and, once we’ve started, don’t stop.”
Continuing, he added, “You probably remember the story of the prodigal. He got his inheritance, went off and squandered it, got hungry, came to his senses, and returned to his father.”
“Yeah, I do remember that story,” I said. “And wasn’t there some sort of a grumpy older brother?”
“There was,” Stan agreed. “The older brother couldn’t rejoice with the father over the prodigal. What the father said to the older brother is a vital lesson for me.”
“What’d he say?”
“He told the older brother that his younger sibling had begun to live.”
“So?”
“Isn’t that what we’re all supposed to do? Aren’t we supposed to begin living the new life Jesus came to give? Begin and don’t stop for as long as we’re here.”
__________________________________
Bible verses to consider:
The story of the prodigal son. Luke 15:11-32.
But when he came to his senses, . . . . Luke 15:17.
But we had to be merry and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found. Luke 15:32.
I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly. John 10:10.
Prayer: Thank you, Father, for giving Jesus and His finished work on the cross as the way to life with you, the life that begins here and will continue forever. Even though I know I will spend eternity in your presence, I confess that too often while I remain on this side of eternity I don’t live the new life you’ve given in the way you intend. Please forgive that foolishness and help me follow every step of your lead in coming to my senses, repenting, and truly living to the fullest the new life you’ve given. Thank you that I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Think on this: Can you live a new life in Christ because you’ve accepted what He accomplished by His finished work on the cross? If no, why do you choose not to have life with God both now and forever? If you are a Christian with the assurance of salvation and redemption, how are you doing with actually living the new life Jesus came to give? If you sense the desire for change with any of this, how is that change going to happen? Is that what you truly want? Why or why not?
The need: Since God knows what we need before we ask Him (Matthew 6:8), what does God know you need into only to have the new life Jesus came to give, but to actually live that new life as God intends? Spend time studying God’s word, praying, reflecting, and journaling to see what God knows you need. He will show you!
Forward: Do you know others who would or could benefit from this devotional? If so, why not forward it and open them to be part of the conversation between Stan and S. Tory Teller?