Police Devotion 7-27-2016
“Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and entreated him. And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.” (Luke 15:25-32)
In the story of the prodigal son, a man had two sons. The younger son wanted his part of the inheritance right away so his father gave it to him. He left home and spent it all. As a result, he ended up broke, hungry, and desperate. He realized that his father’s servants were better off than he was. He figured his dad wouldn’t take him back, but maybe if he admitted his wrongs and asked for a job as a servant, perhaps his dad would consent. So he went back. His father forgave him, restored him, and threw a party. In the passage above, the older brother heard about the party and was mad. He complained that he had never gotten a kid for a party with his friends, but his brother got the fatted calf after breaking his father’s heart. In a way, he had some good points.
The father could have promised the elder son a fatted calf, but he didn’t. He also could have told him to stop whining and be glad that his brother was back home and not dead somewhere. However, he didn’t do that, either. He told him, “Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.” Dad didn’t say, “Son, you do great work”—although he probably did. No. His dad said, “Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.” The son was all about service—which was okay up to a point—but the father was all about fellowship. To put it another way, the father didn’t want his son to just serve him; he wanted fellowship with his son, as well. No doubt the elder son worked hard, but did he ever spend time with his father? Or did he just think of his dad as his boss, and his closest relationships were with his friends. Maybe his dad would’ve given the elder son a fatted calf, but did he ever ask for one?
What if your kids always obeyed, cleaned their rooms, got good grades, and never got on your nerves, but never wanted to spend time with you? You’d offer to play with them or take them out for ice cream, but they’d always politely declined and never asked for anything. They’re good kids, but they don’t really care to be with you. That’d be awful! You have kids, not servants! That’s one point of the story. God is our Lord and wants His people to serve Him and obey, but He’s also our Father and wants us to have fellowship with Him: “and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.” (1 John 1:3-4). Being a Christian is a relationship with God, not a job. One preacher put it like this: “You’re supposed to enjoy your Christian life, not endure it.” If you’re saved, do you feel like you’re enduring your Christian life more than enjoying it? If so, do you spend time with the Lord in Bible reading, worship, and prayer? Personal time with God in His Word and prayer is easy to neglect with all the busyness of life, but it’s crucial to a joyful Christian life.
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Brian Miller 7/27/2016
Cleveland Baptist Church | 4431 Tiedeman Road, Brooklyn, Ohio 44144 | 216.671.2822