The Father ---- The Prodigal

My heart is always touched when I read the moving parable of the Prodigal Son in the 15th chapter of Luke.  I picture the younger son as becoming a rebellious lad, tired of living by his father's rules--ungrateful, and finally saying in his heart ---"I'll do it My Way"!

He went to his father and said -- "Give Me . . . "  The father's heart was broken, but (perhaps after a night of pacing the floor in prayer) he gave unto him his portion of goods.  As is always the case, sin will take you farther than you want to go!  After wasting his money in riotous living he finally found himself in the hog pen, giving the muddy swine their disgusting slop, and he was so hungry and so degraded that the slop looked pretty good to him!

But, praise the Lord, right there in the hog pen he came to himself and said:  "How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!  I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants."  (Notice that he left saying  "Give me", but he returns saying  "Make me"!)

And here is the part I especially love:  "When he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him."
What a touching scene!  I believe when the prodigal left, the father set up some kind of telescope where he could see a great way off. 

I'm sure by, by this time, the devil was telling the prodigal what a fool he was, but regardless of what the devil or anybody else said, he was determined to get to the father!  And when we get to the place where we are sick of sin, and repent with godly sorrow -- the Father will see us, have compassion on us, forgive every sin, and say as the prodigal's father said:
"Bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it, and let us eat, and be merry:  for this my son was dead, and is alive again: he was lost, and is found."

If you find yourself in the hog pen of sin today---don't stay there!!
The Father is watching for you, and "Whosoever Will May Come!"