Happy Sabbath friends! What exactly does the word “prodigal” mean? According to Merriam-Webster, “prodigal” can be defined as “one who spends or gives lavishly and foolishly” and “one who has returned after an absence”. I can confidently state that over a year ago, I would define myself to be a prodigal daughter of Christ. For three years of my life, I “set off for a distant country” from our Heavenly Father. In other words, I was as far away from the Lord as I could be. I was being foolish and giving lavishly to someone who only wanted to take advantage. Until one day, I returned from the absence of my Heavenly Father. I remember this day like it was yesterday…I did not feel good enough to be in the presence of my Heavenly Father so much so that the day I was free from the captivity I was in, all I could do was fall to my knees and cry out loud to Him. Have you ever had a time in your life when you were the furthest away from the Lord, but found your way back to Him? Or maybe you are currently in a time of your life of being far away from the Lord, and you don’t feel good enough to return back to Him. If any applies to you, this message is for you as we will be reading about a son who also “set off for a distant country” from his father and ended up finding his way back.

“Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate. “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ “ ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ ””
Luke 15:11-32 NIV

The story of the prodigal son starts off by introducing the two sons, and how one of them decided to “set off for a distant country” away from his father. He spent everything, and I am sure in the beginning, it felt great, but in time he started to be filled with a feeling of emptiness. He began to be in need as it states in scripture. About a year ago, I would consider myself to be the Lord’s prodigal daughter as I set off for a distant country away from the Lord (not literally, but figuratively). For some time, it felt good, but after a while, I was filled with the same feeling of emptiness and was in need of a Savior. I kept thinking if I gave in to temporary fixes that it would rid me of the feeling of emptiness that was overwhelming me, but it never seemed to free me. The prodigal son experienced the same as it states that “he longed to fill his stomach…”. The prodigal son was longing for something to fill that emptiness that was overwhelming him, yet nothing seemed to ever be enough. It then states “when he came to his senses…”, and that is when he decided to set out and go back to his father. I could say the same happened to me…I came to my senses and realized the only thing that will truly fulfill me is by being in the presence of my Heavenly Father. The prodigal son then thinks to himself how he is not worthy to come back to his father, yet he does it anyway. I will be honest, for a long while I was hesitant to return back to my Heavenly Father as my mind was filled with thoughts of not being good enough to even set foot in the presence of our Savior. Yet, despite these negative thoughts, I went back to our Heavenly Father. Just like the prodigal son’s father, our Heavenly Father was filled with compassion because I returned back to Him. When the prodigal son tried stating how unworthy he was to his father, the response was the complete opposite of what you would expect…the father celebrated his return. I remember the day I returned back to our Heavenly Father and how I could feel my heart fill with this immense love and joy, and I know for a fact that our Heavenly Father was celebrating the return of His prodigal daughter. As it states in scripture, “he was lost and is found”, and that is something worth celebrating about.

“The love of God still yearns over the one who has chosen to separate from Him, and He sets in operation influences to bring him back to the Father’s house. The prodigal son in his wretchedness “came to himself.” The deceptive power that Satan had exercised over him was broken. He saw that his suffering was the result of his own folly, and 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.” Miserable as he was, the prodigal found hope in the conviction of his father’s love. It was that love which was drawing him toward home. So it is the assurance of God’s love that constrains the sinner to return to God. “The goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance.” Romans 2:4. A golden chain, the mercy and compassion of divine love, is passed around every imperiled soul. The Lord declares, “I have loved thee with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” Jeremiah 31:3.”
{COL 202.1}

We will always find our way back home, if we choose to return, and that home is in the presence of God. I always like to define “home” as a place where we feel most comfortable and secure, and I consider the presence of God to be like home. With God, we can be filled with His immense love, comfort, security, joy…and there’s no other place I’d rather be.

““Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’”
Luke 15:4-6 NIV

I pray over all who are reading this message…if you know of someone who has “set off for a distant country” away from our Heavenly Father, I pray that if and when they return to Him, that you celebrate alongside the Father. The return of a lost sheep is something to celebrate about time and time again. Maybe you are reading this, and you are currently in a “distant country” away from the Lord…maybe you are filled with a feeling of emptiness and you are longing for more…I pray over you today for you to come to your senses, just as the prodigal son did, and choose to return back to our Heavenly Father. I can assure you that He will be overjoyed and celebratory over your return. I know you may feel like you are not good enough, or not worthy of Jesus…the prodigal son thought the same thing, and look at how the unexpected happened and his father ended up throwing a celebration because of his return. Our Heavenly Father desires to have a relationship with us…it is our choice whether we want to return to Him or not. I pray over all that we make the decision to return back to our home, which is our Heavenly Father who loves us unconditionally.

“Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.”
Isaiah 55:7 NIV

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
Lamentations 3:22-23 NIV

Amen.

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Merriam-Webster. (n.d.-b). Prodigal definition & meaning. Merriam-Webster. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prodigal

White, Ellen Gould. (1900). Christ’s object lessons. Review and Herald Publishing Company.