IN WANT
Luke 15 11 Then He said: "A certain man had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.' So he divided to them his livelihood. 13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. 14 But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want.
We have all wanted things. Most of the things we want are things we don’t really need. Many of us also have actually been in need of something. Perhaps you remember a time when your car quit and you had absolutely no idea how you were going to get to work. You didn’t simply want a car; you were in need of one. You certainly couldn’t walk to work. Could you? The Prodigal Son was not in need of a car, nor did he want a car. How could he want something that did not exist?
Many people argue that the Bible is not applicable to our day. These days with a vast variety of transportation choices compared to the choices available then; how could we relate to this guy who left his father’s house and journeyed to a far country? We don’t know what means he used for the journey (most likely his own two feet,) but we do know the journey led to the pigpen. How is this relatable to our world? How is this relatable to me?
Some say the journey the Prodigal made, in reality, was a journey of character. He simply left behind everything good and stable and true he had learned at his father’s house and completely changed his lifestyle. It was a complete 360 turn from who he had been to who he became. Therefore he journeyed far. At some point when he was wallowing in a pig pen he realized he wanted the life back he once had.
Ah, there is where the relatability becomes very clear to me personally. I can imagine the prodigal wanting to be home so bad that it gnawed at his heart. Day in and day out, he thought, “If only.” Day in and day out, he asked himself “What have I done?” Night after night dreams of his father’s house were such sweet and peaceful dreams. But alas, he was awakened by the noise, the stench, and the pain of the hunger deep within his soul. The harsh reality of all the good things he had freely left behind during a momentary lapse of judgment, devastated him.
He could not blame his brother who may have gotten on his nerves. He couldn’t blame his father who may have asked him to live by certain rules in his house. No, looking back all those things he thought were bad, were far outweighed by the good that existed there. There was no one to blame but himself. His deep longing to be back home was not simply wanting for something, but being IN want. Being in want is a very miserable place to be.
One’s pigpen may be only a short distance away. And one may find themselves wallowing in a variety of things there. What are you wallowing in? Many dwell in depression, unforgiveness, self-hate, feelings of unworthiness, addictions, and even feelings that the journey of this life is not worth continuing on. Whatever you may be dealing with in your journey, you can rise from where you are and go back home. Yes, it may be scary. Yes, it may be hard. But with God all things are possible.
What did you leave behind that you shouldn’t have? Don’t blame others. Don’t hate yourself when you realize there is no one to blame but yourself. Don’t be in want in longer. Go home. Your Father will meet you there with open arms.