A few weeks ago several of us at church were chatting when the subject of going the wrong way on a one-way street came up. It was a small group, but most had that experience. What was surprising is that no one had been injured or caused an accident.
I was in my early thirties and on my way to a doctor's appointment when I turned one light too early and found myself on the one-way street. What to do? My initial response was that I should make a U-turn so I'd be driving in the right direction. Since there wasn't any traffic, it would have worked, but I didn't do that because I thought maybe I would get rear-ended by a car behind me...
Okay, that wasn't my sharpest moment. Point number one there was no traffic coming toward me—that was good news. Number two, I was going the wrong way, and God forbid anyone should be following me.
Luke 15:11 "And he said, A certain man had two sons: 12) and the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of thy substance that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. 13) And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together and took his journey into a far country; and there he wasted his substance with riotous living. 14) And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that country; and he began to be in want."
Most of us know the parable of the 'Lost Boy,' or better known a 'the Prodigal Son'. The son that thought he knew better than his father. The young man took all his inheritance and got away from home and family. He was FREE! Of course, it's the old story of fair-weather friends that helped him spend all of his money on wine, women, and riotous living. When the money was gone so were they. He scrambled to find anything to feed himself, and so he was hired to feed the hogs. When he hit bottom, he thought about home and family and decided to go home and become a servant in his father's house. But what about those he left behind?
Luke 15:20 "And he arose, and came to his father. But while he was yet afar off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him."
It has been suggested that the father was watching for him; longing for him to come home. Having had children leave the nest, I know that does happen for a time. Yet after a time, be it weeks, months, or years, a parent has to come to grips that your bus travels on, and for the moment that child isn't on your bus.
Never-the-less, the father saw him coming and ran to greet him. Welcomed him home, and reclothed him, put new shoes on his feet, rings on his fingers and whatnot, as if he'd not left. Took his son back as a son, not as a servant.
There are two major decisions in life we each must make. The first is whether to become a Christian. As long as you're on that bus, you're heading in the right direction. I know people who choose to follow their own way tooling down the road of life. They see nothing special about the Christian bus, but as we studied in Vacation Bible School this year Jesus said:
John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no one cometh unto the Father, but by me."
The second major decision is if and who you choose to marry. When you're on the Christian bus you want someone who will help you on your journey, and ultimately someone who will spend eternity with you and Jesus. It is said that as a Christian you will not go to heaven alone. The sad thing is that as a non-believer you won't go to hell alone either.
If you're on the wrong bus get off now. Nothing really matters as to how what when or why you are on that bus. What matters is that you get off that bus and get on the right one. Remember the Father wants you to come home.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!
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