January 18: When He Came to Himself
How far does a person have to go before they see clearly?
“And when he came to himself, he 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,”
Jesus told a story about a young man who took his inheritance early and spent it all on wild living. Then a famine hit, the money was gone, and he ended up feeding pigs. For a Jewish listener, you couldn’t sink much lower. He was so hungry he wanted to eat the pig food.
Then comes a small phrase with a big meaning. He came to himself.
For a long time he’d been living outside of himself, so to speak. Chasing the next good time. Not looking at what was happening. Then, in the pigpen, the fog lifted. He saw his life plainly. And the first thing he saw was the truth: “I’m starving here, and my father’s servants have plenty.”
That is Step One in a story. He didn’t come up with a plan to fix his life on his own. He didn’t decide to be a better pig keeper. He admitted where he was and what he’d done, and he decided to go home and say so.
Notice he rehearsed his confession on the way. “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight.” He expected to come back as a hired hand. He wasn’t asking to be restored. He was just done pretending.
Your pigpen might not look like his. It might look like a decent job and a nice house and a secret you can’t stop keeping. Bottoms come at different depths. What matters is not how low you went, but whether you come to yourself.
And here is the best part of the story, which Jesus tells a few verses later. While the son was still a long way off, the father saw him and ran. The father didn’t wait at the door with crossed arms. He ran down the road. Before the son could finish his speech, the father was already hugging him.
That is the God you are coming to.
One thing today
Finish this sentence honestly in writing: “If I came to myself today, I would see that…” Don’t stop at one line. Write until it’s all said.
A prayer
Father, I’ve been far from home. I’m coming to my senses. I’m walking back with nothing to offer but the truth. Thank You for running to meet me.
See how this fits Step One.
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