God’s Way Home 神安排的回家之旅

[Dexu Xia]

This son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. Luke 15:11--24

Today's Scripture Luke 15:11-24

Today's Insights

 In Luke 15, Jesus tells three parables about something lost—a lost sheep (vv. 1-7), a coin (vv. 8-10), and a son (vv. 11-32). All of us can relate to looking for something valuable that we’ve lost. But the parable of the lost son would’ve been harder for Christ’s audience to understand. A son requesting his inheritance while his father was still living and a father running to welcome him would have disregarded the cultural norms of that time. That’s just the point. God, like the father in the story, is waiting to do the unexpected—to welcome His lost children home

Today's Devotional 

As I drove down the steep ramp into the parking lot, anxiety swept over me. I’d been in this exact place before—and I’d gotten lost that time. But now, as I began to walk to the door near the elevator, a calm feeling filled my heart. I knew the way! I walked through the door and found the set of elevators I was seeking and soon was where I was supposed to be.

My experience in finding my way through the maze of that parking structure reminds me that getting lost can sometimes help us find our way. Because I had gotten lost during my first visit, I recalled what had gone wrong and remembered the door that led to my destination.

There’s great joy in finding our way—something the “lost son” in today’s parable found to be true (Luke 15:24). “When he finally came to his senses” (v. 17 ), the wayward young man knew his way back home after having been lost in the world. He recognized all he had left behind and returned home where he received his father’s “love and compassion” (v. 20 nlt). The story says the father was overjoyed to receive his lost son and welcome him back, saying, “This son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found” (v. 24 nlt).

If we’re lost spiritually, let’s look for the familiar way home God has provided. He points us toward His loving light and to where we’re supposed to be.

Reflect & Pray

How has God shown you where you’re supposed to be? How can you run after His light?

Compassionate God, please help me turn from the darkness of being lost and return to Your light and love.  By Katara Patton

 “我这儿子是死而复活，失而复得的。”（路加福音 15:24）

 今日经文 ：路加福音 15:章11--24

今日洞见   在路加福音15章中，耶稣讲了三个关于失物的比喻——一只迷失的羊（1-7节）、一枚钱币（8-10节）和一个儿子（11-32节）。我们每个人都有过寻找失去的珍贵之物的感受。但浪子的比喻对基督的听众来说可能更难理解。一个儿子在父亲健在时请求继承遗产，而父亲跑去迎接他，这显然违背了当时的文化规范。这正是关键所在。神就像故事中的父亲一样，正在等待着意想不到的事情，迎接祂失散的孩子们回家。

   今日灵修     当我开车驶下陡峭的坡道，驶入停车场时，我满心焦虑。我以前也来过这个地方，那次我迷路了。但现在，当我开始走向电梯旁的门口时，一股平静的感觉充满了我的心。我认识路！我走进门，找到了我要找的那组电梯，很快就到了我应该去的地方。我在停车场迷宫中寻找方向的经历提醒我，迷路有时能帮助我们找到方向。因为我第一次来的时候就迷路了，所以我回想起了，上次是哪里出了问题，也想起了通往目的地的那扇门。

  找到方向是一件非常快乐的事情，在今天的比喻中，“浪子”的经历就是如此（路加福音15:24）。“他醒悟过来”（17节），这个任性的年轻人在花花世界中迷失了自己后，终于找到了回家的路。这时，他意识到自己已经抛弃了过去荒唐的一切。回到家中，他的父亲以“恩慈和怜悯”接纳他（20节）。在故事中，父亲欣喜若狂地迎接他失散的儿子归来，说：“我这儿子是死而复活，失而复得的。”（24节） 如果我们在灵里迷失，就让我们寻找上帝为我们预备的那条熟悉的回家之路。祂指引我们走向祂慈爱的光明，以及我们本该去的地方。

反思与祷告  上帝是如何指引你走向本该去的地方的？你该如何追随祂的光？ 慈悲的上帝，请帮助我走出迷失的黑暗，回归祢的光明和慈爱。

 作者：卡塔拉·巴顿