Day 11

(Luke 15:14 NIV) After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.

Two calamities struck the son at the same time: 1. he ran out of money and
2. he ran into a famine.

The first was his own fault (i.e., spending all of the money) and the second (i.e., the famine) was not his fault, but it sure complicated matters. The famine put other people in a lurch that might have helped the young man, thus limiting his options and making the one of returning to his father a necessity.

When we sin and turn our back on God, we quickly deplete our resources. When we are following our own desires, we are spenders. Contrarily, God does not refer to us in His revelation (i.e., the Bible) as spenders, but as good stewards. Good stewards are people who store up so when the opportunity to help/serve arises, there are plenty of resources to do God’s work with.

Indulging in our natural desires (i.e., sinning) puts us in a precarious situation. It is a downward spiral that only returning home to God will allow our balance sheet to be righted.


Brad Childers