Monday Morning Devo - Time in the Pigpen

Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished. “So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16“And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him. “But when he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger! Luke 15:14-17 NKJV (but you might want to read the rest of the story--Luke 15:11-32.)

Have you ever found yourself in a mess of your own devising? Something you brought on yourself? For instance, getting a speeding ticket because you had been going over the speed limit?

Yes, I've been in that pigpen, but I've been in a lot worse messes than that. What, you too?

I admit it, I stole the idea for this post from the Upper Room, a daily devotional I have read for I don't remember how many years. The author of the post, Andrew Garland Breeden, said the part that made him sit up and take notice was the part where the young man who'd gotten himself into this fix came to his senses.

Yup, been there. Usually too late to fix the mess, but definitely learned the lesson. Now, I could have blamed the mess on (a) nobody warned me this could happen, (b) I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, (c) someone else got me into that wrong place.... Well, you get the picture. Bottom line? I should have come to my senses BEFORE I landed in the pigpen.

The good part is learning the lesson. Even better is passing it on. The young man in this story got carried away with all the money he had and spent it on all the wrong things. What if someone had set him down, pointed to the pigpen, and said, "This is what you're getting yourself into."

Come to think of it, the boy probably wouldn't have listened.

But one thing to ALWAYS remember: You can come back to the Father. He will still love you even when you've been spending time with the lowest of the lowly, getting mixed up in the same messes they're in. He loves you exactly as you are, but He doesn't want to to stay in the pigpen, does He?

Turn to Him. He has the answers.

Father, Your grace is so amazing and awesome. Sometimes I think You'd be way better off without me and my messes, but I'm so, so glad that's not the way You are. Thank You from the bottom-most reaches of my heart. Amen.