Meditations on the Prodigal Son – Part II

The famine eventually hits the land. The Prodigal Son now begins to understand his weakness, his frailty. He no longer has any of his inheritance left and it hits him hard: he cannot live on his own. He is not self-existent as God is.

I think often times God sends famines on purpose in our lives. We might call it hard times. Or we might blame it on the devil. But I often think it’s an intentional famine from God. We can clearly see this in the lives of sinners who don’t repent. They reap consequence after consequence, and perhaps one day they’ll humble themselves and repent. But I’ve noticed that in my life famines will come in order to woo me closer to the first commandment. Famines, however, bring real pain, and how can a good God purposely and consciously bring pain to His chidren?

I remember a father at my church, whose little son got leukemia. His son was hospitilized almost continually after a while, and at one point he had a fever that would not come down. So, the doctors asked the father to give the child a cool shower in hopes that the fever would come down. The child asked the father to not do that b/c he didn’t like cold water. But his father gave him a shower w/ cool water anyways…
The love for earthly things is cancerous. It kills the soul; it dulls the heart. I would say I’m a ‘good’ Christian. However, the 1st commandment is about ALL my heart.  ‘Good’ can sometimes be the worst enemy of ‘best.’ I don’t want anything less than a whole hearted devotion.
…The father told us his story at church w/ many tears in his eyes. He didn’t want to cause his child discomfort, but he had to. What a hero! What a true father!
So, why do I think any differently of God?

My hero! My Father!