217 - The Father's Love Leads Us to Repentance 5#
217 - The Father's Love Leads You to Repentance 5
(JP Text Group - Organized by the Little Prince of Heaven)
Heavenly Father, we thank You! We are willing to receive Your provision, through Your words once again strengthen us and help us realize that You, as our loving Father, are willing to provide for us, willing to help us, and desire for us to return to You, because You do not wish to force anything upon us, but want us to willingly seek You.
Father, thank You for leading us to seek You, for this time, placing our brothers and sisters in Your hands to receive provision. Thank You and praise the Lord, in the name of the Lord Jesus, we pray! Amen!
The topic of sharing is: The Father's Love Leads Us to Repentance 5
Luke 15:13-19
13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country. There he squandered his property in reckless living. 14 And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. 17 But when he came to himself, he said, “How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger? 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.’”
Let us pray together
Heavenly Father! Thank You and praise You, thank You for awakening us through Your words, so that we no longer rely on our own understanding, but awaken through the grace of Jesus Christ, willingly submit to Your words and live according to them. We commit this time into the hands of the Holy Spirit, may You renew us, help us, and open our hearts, so we can understand the Father’s love and willingly turn to You, relying on You in all things. Thank You and praise the Lord! In the name of the Lord Jesus, we pray. Amen!
A man had two sons, both with problems, but the younger son’s issues were more prominent. One day, the younger son said to his father: “Give me my share of the estate, I want to leave you because I feel you do not love me, and you have too many restrictions on me.” He wanted to leave his father, and the father did not say anything at that time, but directly gave him his share.
Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and went to a far country. There he squandered his property in reckless living.
In fact, this is the trajectory of humanity's fall, a trace that can be found like a track. The fall and failure of humanity are related to this; the first step is that people want to rely on themselves. Even under grace, we are like this; when we want to rely on ourselves, God can no longer provide for us. Is the father of the younger son unwilling to provide for him? No, he has always hoped that this son could live at home and he would continue to provide for him.
But one day, the younger son said: “I want to leave you and live on my own,” which made it impossible for his father to provide for him anymore. In the beginning, did God not provide for Adam and Eve? How good was the Garden of Eden? Did they worry about bugs or weeds? Not at all. They could eat at any time, and there was always provision; they did not have to worry about these things. The father’s provision was abundant. But one day they thought: “I want to be like God, to discern good and evil.” There is nothing wrong with discerning good and evil, but the problem arises when they use their own standards to do so.
What the younger son wanted to do was to rely on himself. The reason his father did not want him to leave was that he knew that when he relied on himself, he would inevitably experience failure. Are Christians like this? Never say, “I have a God, my Father is the Most High Lord!” Yes, you are right. But if you rely on yourself, the outcome will be the same as the younger son’s. You will inevitably fall into failure, but in the eyes of the Father, does He say that if you rely on yourself, you are no longer my son? No. In the Father’s eyes, you are just a lost son. Hallelujah! You are just lost and have gone astray; the Father is always waiting for our return.
What does it mean when we turn back to God? We keep saying: The Father’s love leads us to repentance. What does it mean to repent and turn to God? It means no longer relying on ourselves, but solely looking to the Father’s provision. This is why we keep talking about repentance: to stop relying on ourselves and turn to rely on God. Everything is not related to your efforts, but to God’s provision.
When the younger son wanted to leave his father and live on his own, the first step was that he wanted to leave, and the second step was that he really left. Not long after, he gathered all he had and went to a far country. Going to a far country represents the state of those who have not yet accepted Jesus Christ. When a person has not believed in Jesus, do not say they are unsaved, because we do not know what the final outcome will be. When so many people wanted to stone Stephen, could Stephen have thought that the one helping to watch the clothes behind could believe in the Lord and be willing to give everything for Him? Stephen could not have imagined this, and he could not foresee that among those who were stoning him, many would eventually give their lives for the Lord.
We do not know what the final outcome will be; those who have not accepted Jesus are merely lost sons. Amen! There are also a group of people in the church; if they live under the law, they are merely lost older sons. Both are lost and need to repent. Where do they turn to? They turn to their father, looking to all the provisions of their father. Amen, we will talk about the older son’s issues later, but let’s first talk about the younger son.
Indeed, we can all see that he has problems; he may end up complaining about his father. This is the result of people intentionally not recognizing God and unwilling to obey Him, do you understand? It is not that our Heavenly Father wants people to live like this, but that people choose to leave God. Is this how we share the gospel with others? The purpose of sharing the gospel is to hope they live better, to hope they have abundant life, but not everyone is willing to accept it.
Many people say, “Don’t talk to me about Jesus; I don’t want to believe in Him.” When faced with rejection, our God cannot bless them. Just like the younger son, who chose to leave his father and go to a far country, living recklessly and wasting his wealth, proves that he wants to live by himself. Those who have not yet believed in Jesus are living by themselves, without life; this is a very regrettable thing. Some people intentionally do not recognize God; what can God do? If a person is unwilling to rely on his father, what can his father do? Let you be.
Romans 1:28 says, “And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.”
Our Lord has a strong personality; He never forces you to do things, unlike evil spirits. The Holy Spirit respects your choices, respects your will. Amen! If you choose not to believe, not to live according to your way, the Holy Spirit also respects your choice. God’s gifts are infinite. Brothers and sisters, our Lord has abundant, countless grace to provide. Amen!
What we need to obtain is the Lord, not just to think about God’s gifts. Peter was a wise man; when Peter saw Jesus say, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch,” and there were two boats full of fish, Peter did not see the fish; he saw the Lord who issued the command. Amen! Peter’s choice at that time was very wise; he said, “I want Jesus! Not just the fish.”
Many people regret not wanting God but wanting God’s blessings; this is also the state of humanity. No one wishes to live poorly; everyone hopes to live in blessing, but they forget who is the source of blessing. Only our Lord is the source of blessing. Amen! But these people deliberately do not want God, intentionally do not recognize God, yet still want God’s blessings. What can be done? God says, “Rely on your own efforts.” Under the system of the world, working hard may yield some results, but compared to God’s blessings, which is better? Of course, God’s blessings are better.
The younger son encountered such a problem; at first, he was under his father’s complete provision, but later he wanted to leave and live on his own, resulting in what we can imagine. He squandered everything and became poor.
Verse 14 states clearly, “And when he had spent everything…”
Why did he spend everything? Why didn’t he spend it before? Previously, he was in his father’s house, and the provision came from his father; as long as his father had it, he would always have it. Now, where did his problem arise? He had cut off the source from his father; what he had was limited. Only when we connect with the infinite God can we receive an endless supply. If we rely on ourselves, we can only enjoy as much as we have; when it is gone, we cannot enjoy anymore, and we become poor.
Spending everything is the inevitable result for the younger son because he had severed ties with his father. This is why people live in sickness and suffering; because they have cut off from the God of blessings. This result is inevitable. Later it says, “And a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need.” Brothers and sisters, why did the younger son become poor? Did his father deliberately make him poor? In fact, it was his wrong choice. Why do people live in pain, disaster, and sickness? It is actually Adam’s wrong choice that led people in the world to live under a curse, right?
We do not want to live under a curse; how can we escape it? Unless we connect with this infinite God, we call it repentance, we can escape all of this; otherwise, we cannot. The Bible has a verse that says very well,
In Psalm 16:4, it says, “The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names on my lips.”
In the past, the Jews relied on the Lord; the characteristic of the Jews is that when they encounter problems, they push God aside and rely on other things, relying on Egypt, Assyria, Babylon… When they rely on these people, they receive more sorrows. The world is also like this; when you replace God with others, listen carefully, originally you could rely on God, but you replaced God with other things, which means you no longer rely on God, your sorrows will multiply. Is it God who increases your sorrows? No, what increases it? What you rely on will increase your sorrows.
Some say, “I rely on money; how can money increase my sorrows?” That is because you have not experienced this yet. Look at those corrupt officials; after embezzling a lot of money, are they joyful every day? No, they are sorrowful; the more they greed, the more sorrow they have. Business people, do they become joyful after making a lot of money? No, the more they earn, the more worries they have, worrying that these things will be lost, right? But what is God’s way for us? You rely on the Lord; He will never let your sorrows increase, unless you rely on others, then your sorrows will begin to increase. The younger son clearly pushed his father aside; he began to rely on himself, on money, on the things in his hands, and as a result, his sorrows increased.
I want to tell everyone: Poverty is not God’s intention; God’s intention is for people to live in His abundant blessings. God created the world and everything in it for people to enjoy. Amen! Always remember this: God created this beautiful Eden, the heavens and the earth, for people to enjoy. It is absolutely not that I let you see it but cannot obtain it; this is not our Lord. Everything the Lord created is for His children to enjoy; He wants to dwell and rejoice with people. Unfortunately, when people see all this, they want these things and push God aside, no longer wanting God, and they must leave God to live on their own, which leads to so much lack.
Let me give you a few examples. Were Adam and Eve poor when they did not leave God? No, they lived very happily, but when they left God, the difference was like heaven and earth. Was life in the Garden of Eden good? What would they encounter after coming out? Eve experienced pain in childbirth, and Adam had to sweat to make a living every day. This proves that now they need to labor to do things; they are already relying on themselves. Previously, they lived in complete provision; now they live entirely by themselves. Two different outcomes, so when you rely on yourself or on other things, poverty will appear.
Let’s look at another person, Jacob. Isaac had two sons, one named Esau and the other named Jacob. Jacob did not work; he stayed in the tent every day, eating, drinking, and playing. Was he living comfortably? One day he wanted to seize something for himself; God had actually already told him, “I will bless you; the older will serve the younger.” It was already very clear, but he wanted to grab it back by relying on himself.
When he relied on himself, what did he get? He had to leave home; he had to leave his parents. Did he become poor? When Jacob left home, he had to take responsibility for his own life. How did he pray to God? “Lord, let me eat enough, wear warm clothes, and let me live well; I will take You as my God.” Did he pray like this before? If he was in his mother’s tent every day, would he need to say, “Lord, let me eat enough, wear warm clothes?” No need to pray like that.
If Adam was in the Garden of Eden, did he need to pray, “Lord, let me eat enough, wear warm clothes, and not get sick?” He absolutely did not need to. When people leave God, problems arise. After Jacob left his family, he began to become poor. Let’s look again; after the Israelites left Egypt, did God continue to provide for them? “You have no water to drink, I will give you water; you have no food, I will give you manna; I will ensure your shoes do not wear out; my grace is always providing.” But one day they said, “We can do everything the Lord has commanded.”
They replaced God’s covenant, the covenant of grace, the covenant of complete provision, with something else. God said, “I carried you on eagles’ wings to bring you to Myself; you will be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” They said, “No, whatever You want us to do, we can do.” Did they not want to cut off God’s provision and rely on themselves? When they relied on themselves, how did their lives turn out? Did plagues begin to appear, problems arise, and death occur?
Brothers and sisters, all of this tells us that when people leave God and replace Him with others, their sorrows will surely increase. Amen! Why do we need to come to hear the word every week? People easily deviate from the goal of the Lord Jesus Christ and rely on themselves. We need to hear the word again to adjust our focus back to Jesus. Do not leave the grace of the Lord Jesus. You can choose to leave; God will not stop you or force you to stay here, but when you leave, what increases is not grace, not freedom, but sorrow. So do not leave God’s grace! God’s grace is freely provided to you; He hopes you will always rely on Him because He wants to bless you.
2 Corinthians 8:9, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you by His poverty might become rich.”
This verse is familiar to everyone, right? In context, it talks about the issue of giving. Do you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ? Yesterday, a sister asked me, “Teacher Ren, I have been listening to the message of grace for a long time, but I still do not want to give. Every time I give, I feel particularly uncomfortable. What should I do?” I said, “Pray first, do not give.”
Why does she feel uncomfortable? In fact, she does not understand how the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ is produced. He was originally rich but became poor for you and me. Brothers and sisters, that proves who is poor? We are poor; the Lord Jesus was originally rich. When you understand the grace of the Lord Jesus, you know He was originally rich, we are poor, and later it was exchanged; you became rich, and Jesus became poor for a time. Amen!
But many Christians say, “Then why have I not seen wealth yet?” God’s blessings have a way, especially in economic aspects; He does not go from nothing to something. I have told you before why God does not bless us by going from nothing to something. If He did, all Christians would become incredibly lazy; no one would need to work. Everyone would sit at home, “Rice! Come, buns! Come!” From nothing to something, why work or go to a job?
Doesn’t this violate God’s natural laws? It would be unfair to those who do not believe; they work hard and may not receive anything, while you sit at home, “Come, come, come,” like Sun Wukong pulling out a hair and making everything appear… How could that be? This would make Christians lazy, and secondly, it would make them greedy. Now God says, “You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ; He was originally rich, yet for your sake, He became poor, so that you by His poverty might become rich.”
This proves that your wealth is exchanged by the Lord Jesus. How do you exchange it? God has a principle for making you rich; through giving, God makes you rich. What is the world’s concept? The more you give, the less money you have… But in the Lord Jesus Christ, the more you give to God, the more He gives you. Amen! This is grace in Christ; it is different from other things. The younger son actually did not understand this point.
Let’s look at 2 Corinthians 8:13-15, which we just read, the content of verse 9 refers not to spiritual blessings but to real changes in your life. I do not expect everyone to listen and say, “Great, great,” and then go home to find the reality is vastly different from the dream. I do not want you to live like this; I hope that God’s word will be experienced in your life. Since God has said so, it will surely be accomplished in you.
Let’s look at verses 13-15
13 I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, 14 but that as a matter of fairness your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. 15 As it is written, “Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.”
God does not look at one person. Take our church as an example; God does not look at it as “Let the rich become richer and let the poor die.” The large gap between the rich and the poor is not God’s intention; God wants fairness. What does fairness mean? Equal? Some say, “How can it be equal?” In the future, blessings in the kingdom of heaven will be like this; in the kingdom of heaven, are there very poor and very rich? It is just fair. Amen! The church is a model of the future kingdom of heaven, so God first wants the church to be fair. How does fairness work? As mentioned earlier, knowing the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, He hopes that everyone is rich. Amen!
Look at the following; I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that there may be fairness. In fact, it is like this at home, in a country, and even more so in the church. God expects everyone to have a grateful heart, knowing the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Because in verse 15, it says, “As it is written, ‘Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.’”
This refers to manna; every morning the Israelites went out to the wilderness to gather manna. Those who could eat more gathered more, and those who could eat less gathered less. It says here, “Whoever gathered much had nothing left over,” meaning if you could eat one pound of manna and returned with ten pounds, you would be stuffed for a day, but what about the remaining nine pounds? It would spoil. The world does not understand this truth; they fear poverty and hoard money in the bank. Is the money in the bank yours? When you die one day, is it still yours?
Solomon understood this; there is a calamity in the world: people hoarding food, only to have it enjoyed by others. This is a calamity. What is God’s intention? He wants fairness, meaning you can enjoy this portion, and enjoy the fruits of your labor; that is the blessing. Is it not a pity for someone who can earn money but cannot spend it? Some can earn a lot but cannot digest it; they are allergic to everything. How regrettable is that? They cannot even eat an egg without being allergic.
The meaning here is fairness. Paul quoted the gathering of manna to say: You can gather more, but remember that the portion you can enjoy is very small. Now let me tell you how to achieve fairness; this person gathered ten pounds, but he can only eat one pound, so he gives the remaining nine pounds to his relatives. “You do not need to go today; I will give it to you.” Isn’t this fairness? In fact, this is how it is in the church; we call this giving.
When Paul arrived at the Corinthian church, he said: “I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened.” Is this about giving? It is about fairness, so that your abundance may supply their need. Paul shepherded many churches; some churches were very poor, such as the church established in Jerusalem, which was managed by James and was very poor. Paul went to other churches, took offerings, and sent them to this church. Isn’t this fairness?
So he said to the Corinthians: “Your abundance can supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness.” What does this mean? Everyone has weak moments or problems; today you can help others, and one day when you have problems, others can help you. This is how God allows us to have fairness in the church. Hallelujah!
When you see brothers and sisters are weak, go help them, and do so willingly. One day, when you have problems, they will also come to help you. This is God’s intention, to let us have a grateful heart. In fact, God does not lack money, nor does He need us to give; He just wants you to know that your source of blessing is God.
The problem with the younger son is precisely here; he continuously received his father’s provision, and in the end, he felt entitled to it. “I should eat yours, drink yours; this is mine, this is mine…” What did he do to receive all this? Nothing. Younger son, everything you have is the grace given to you by your father. Hallelujah! This is grace.
Now in foreign countries, especially in Europe and America, there are many inheritance taxes. For example, if I have several billion to give to my descendants, what they can actually receive is very little; most of it is taxed. Why does the country establish such a thing? It is actually to let this son know that what he receives from his father is not something he deserves.
But the younger son does not understand this; he uses his father’s things every day and feels it is his due. The younger son has no grateful heart, unaware that his father’s provision and love are because he loves him, and it is grace that comes upon him. He feels he deserves it. Therefore, at the beginning, God expects us to give tithes, not because God lacks money, but one reason is to let us understand that He is the source of blessing.
God placed the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden to tell Adam and Eve: I am the source of all these blessings. For this reason, it was placed there. The younger son clearly did not see his father’s beautiful intention and thought that what was in his hands was good.
Brothers and sisters, when a person is greedy and continuously receives without knowing how to give, they will inevitably become proud and selfish. We, under grace, are also like this. Now I advise everyone: If you have received grace for a while, give out what you have received in balance. Perhaps they are rich in finances, but they are lacking in gifts; then you may be lacking in finances but rich in gifts. Isn’t this balanced?
I have the gift to pray for you, but I do not charge for my gift; I am serving you, and you are serving each other through finances. Hallelujah! This is fairness; this is what God expects us to do. I hope everyone gives out as much grace as they have received. Otherwise, you will always feel that you know a lot. Paul, while receiving, also served, and in the end, he concluded: “I know too little.” According to what I should know, I still do not know.
If someone says, “I know a lot and can do many things,” in fact, you still cannot do anything. When a person feels they can do many things, it is not yet time to serve; first, receive. If you do not understand that everything we have now is blessed by God, that God is the source of our blessings, and you do not have a grateful heart, you cannot serve.
The grace we receive from God is actually exchanged by Jesus at a great cost; it is not what you deserve, nor what you are entitled to; it is given to you by God through Jesus. Amen! If a person does not have a grateful heart, they will truly become greedy, and the consequences will be very serious. Let me share a not-so-good testimony. Last week, do you all know what happened in Hangzhou? A person’s family was very wealthy; they hired a nanny and treated this nanny very well, like family. Whatever she needed, she would tell them.
To put it back, it was “What is mine is yours; we do not need to be so polite.” She treated this nanny very well, and later, because the nanny lacked money and could not buy a house, she lent her 100,000 yuan, perhaps not intending for her to pay it back. But this nanny not only did not show gratitude but also stole many things from her home. Have you seen this news? When the mistress found out, not only did she not call the police, but she also said, “This is not good; if you have any needs, just tell me,” still using a gracious heart to treat her, but she gave it to the wrong person.
This person had no grateful heart and harbored hatred, so she set a fire, killing the mistress and her three children; all four died. Her husband happened to be on a business trip, and when he returned, his wife and children had already been burned to death. So recently, a saying has become popular online: “How good do I have to be to you for you to let me go?” A lack of a grateful heart is just like this.
We see that the younger son is actually the same as the story just mentioned; the younger son has already killed his father, already cursed his father, saying, “I want to leave you.” It is the same thing. No matter how the times change, the human heart is actually the same. If you leave gratitude, leave grace, and do not recognize God’s grace, you will fall into such depravity and indulgence, becoming greedy.
The younger son feels that he must grasp these things himself; he must hold them in his hands. He forgets that his father is the source of all his blessings. Brothers and sisters, I hope everyone remembers that our Heavenly Father is the source of your blessings. If our God does not bless you, what can you do? If God does not give us the word, what can we speak? So do not boastfully say, “I can do… I have this gift, I have that gift, I can do this, I can do that.” Stop! If it is not God who gives you strength, we can do nothing.
The Bible also says clearly in John 15:5, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
This is our characteristic; if we leave the Father’s provision, we can do nothing! To put it back, if God lets us do things for Him here, we must run to other places; you cannot do it. God’s will is not there; you really cannot do it. Amen!
The younger son left home and gave up his father’s management to rely on himself, and then two disasters struck him simultaneously: the first was that he ran out of money, and the second was that he happened to encounter a famine. Some say this is God’s punishment on him. Some people say, “Famine is actually good; poverty is good; it can make you remember, it can give you a grateful heart.” When the younger son encountered these problems, running out of money, being looked down upon by others, and encountering famine, did he really have a grateful heart? Did he truly understand God’s grace?
Living under grace, still using a legalistic heart to rely on oneself, saying, “This is what God gave me; I must hold onto it tightly,” you will not give to others. It is the same; you will not receive anything from others. The younger son is like this. One day, when he went to feed pigs, did anyone give him anything? No, they did not. Because everyone has a legalistic heart, this person began to become poor, lacking even the necessities of life. Pigs, in the eyes of the Jews, are unclean; generally speaking, Jews never raise pigs, do not use pigs for sacrifices, and do not eat pork.
Based on this, the person raising pigs was likely a Gentile. He relied on that person, who represents the people of the world. When you leave God to rely on others, your sorrows will inevitably increase. We just read this passage; he went to rely on the pig farmer, which is actually relying on the world, using human methods, relying on human help. That person said, “Okay, but I do not feed idle people; you must work to eat.” This is the law of the world. The younger son said, “Then tell me what to do.” “Go feed the pigs.” He was already starving. This person did not first feed him and then let him work; it was work first, then food. This is the law of the world. When he relied on the world, he would inevitably get this result.
The field represents the world, and feeding pigs represents things he does not want to do but has to do to survive. How many people who do not believe in Jesus live like this? They do not want to do it but have to do it because they want to live. Only in Christ can one talk about interests and dreams; outside of Christ, there is nothing. First, rely on yourself to live, then talk about other things.
The younger son has fallen into such a state and suffered such hardships. I want to ask everyone a question: Were these sufferings prepared by his father? Definitely not. Were they permitted by his father? Yes. The first thing you can all answer is that the younger son suffered, ran out of money, and was looked down upon by others. This was not arranged by his father; it was not his father who said, “If you want to leave me, I will arrange a series of people to make you come back and beg me.” How many people think of God like this?
When they have diseases, accidents, or business failures, they say, “Lord, why do You treat me like this?” Is that what God does? When he becomes poor, he says, “Lord, why have You made me so poor? Why have You made me so miserable?” Is that what He arranged? It is clear that it is not; it is the result of relying on oneself. Amen! Here I want to tell everyone: This is not what God prepared, nor is it what God desires, but it is indeed permitted by God.
What is permission? It means you insist on doing this, and God cannot forcibly change your will, so He can only let you be like this first; this is a form of permission. When you are willing to turn back, God will restore what you have lost. This is also God’s permission. He allowed Adam and Eve to sin, allowed Jacob to have twenty years of painful experiences, but later God said, “I will greatly bless you, as long as you are willing to turn back.” What is feared is that we have wrong thoughts. Many people, when encountering these sufferings and failures, put themselves in Job’s shoes and declare themselves in what way?
Let’s look at Job 1:21, “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”
If the younger son had received legalistic teachings, he would definitely declare like this: “The one who gives is my father, and the one who takes away is also my father; this father cannot praise him for making me suffer so much.” Did his father cause him to suffer like this? It is clear that he did not. Do not say, “Lord, why have You taken everything from me?” God says, “What do I need to take from you?” What do we have that is worth God taking? Nothing at all.
The only thing God takes from you is your sins and problems. You say, “But my estate is worth millions!” Are millions a lot in God’s eyes? Do not think that God can take anything from you; God blesses you and does not need to take your things. These are not what God takes. Amen! What is feared is that when we are destitute, fail, and have nothing, we clearly see that it is the result of our wrong path, yet we still feel it is the path God arranged for us. This is a wrong belief. Many people still declare using Job’s wrong beliefs, not only this verse but also another passage in chapter 7, and there are many more; you can check it out yourself. Many people are still using them.
Job 7:20, “O God, you scrutinize me; if I have sinned, what have I done to you? Why have you made me your target? Why have you made me weary of my life?”
What did Job think? “Why do You keep aiming at me?” Did God aim at him? The younger son, having nothing, was not given any grace by others. Was it his father who shot arrows at him from behind? His father said, “I sent out many spies to gradually spend your wealth, and in the end, let you live like this to learn a lesson.” How many people think of God like this?
When they are sick, have accidents, or fail in business, they say, “Lord, why do You treat me like this?” Is that what God does? When he becomes poor, he says, “Lord, why have You made me so poor? Why have You made me so miserable?” Is that what He arranged? It is clear that it is not; it is the result of relying on oneself. Amen! Here I want to tell everyone: This is not what God prepared, nor is it what God desires, but it is indeed permitted by God.
What is permission? It means you insist on doing this, and God cannot forcibly change your will, so He can only let you be like this first; this is a form of permission. When you are willing to turn back, God will restore what you have lost. This is also God’s permission. He allowed Adam and Eve to sin, allowed Jacob to have twenty years of painful experiences, but later God said, “I will greatly bless you, as long as you are willing to turn back.” What is feared is that we have wrong thoughts. Many people, when encountering these sufferings and failures, put themselves in Job’s shoes and declare themselves in what way?
Let’s look at Job 1:21, “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”
If the younger son had received legalistic teachings, he would definitely declare like this: “The one who gives is my father, and the one who takes away is also my father; this father cannot praise him for making me suffer so much.” Did his father cause him to suffer like this? It is clear that he did not. Do not say, “Lord, why have You taken everything from me?” God says, “What do I need to take from you?” What do we have that is worth God taking? Nothing at all.
The only thing God takes from you is your sins and problems. You say, “But my estate is worth millions!” Are millions a lot in God’s eyes? Do not think that God can take anything from you; God blesses you and does not need to take your things. These are not what God takes. Amen! What is feared is that when we are destitute, fail, and have nothing, we clearly see that it is the result of our wrong path, yet we still feel it is the path God arranged for us. This is a wrong belief. Many people still declare using Job’s wrong beliefs, not only this verse but also another passage in chapter 7, and there are many more; you can check it out yourself. Many people are still using them.
Job 7:20, “O God, you scrutinize me; if I have sinned, what have I done to you? Why have you made me your target? Why have you made me weary of my life?”
What did Job think? “Why do You keep aiming at me?” Did God aim at him? The younger son, having nothing, was not given any grace by others. Was it his father who shot arrows at him from behind? His father said, “I sent out many spies to gradually spend your wealth, and in the end, let you live like this to learn a lesson.” How many people think of God like this?
When they are sick, have accidents, or fail in business, they say, “Lord, why do You treat me like this?” Is that what God does? When he becomes poor, he says, “Lord, why have You made me so poor? Why have You made me so miserable?” Is that what He arranged? It is clear that it is not; it is the result of relying on oneself. Amen! Here I want to tell everyone: This is not what God prepared, nor is it what God desires, but it is indeed permitted by God.
What is permission? It means you insist on doing this, and God cannot forcibly change your will, so He can only let you be like this first; this is a form of permission. When you are willing to turn back, God will restore what you have lost. This is also God’s permission. He allowed Adam and Eve to sin, allowed Jacob to have twenty years of painful experiences, but later God said, “I will greatly bless you, as long as you are willing to turn back.” What is feared is that we have wrong thoughts. Many people, when encountering these sufferings and failures, put themselves in Job’s shoes and declare themselves in what way?
We see that the younger son is actually the same as the story just mentioned; the younger son has already killed his father, already cursed his father, saying, “I want to leave you.” It is the same thing. No matter how the times change, the human heart is actually the same. If you leave gratitude, leave grace, and do not recognize God’s grace, you will fall into such depravity and indulgence, becoming greedy.
The younger son feels that he must grasp these things himself; he must hold them in his hands. He forgets that his father is the source of all his blessings. Brothers and sisters, I hope everyone remembers that our Heavenly Father is the source of your blessings. If our God does not bless you, what can you do? If God does not give us the word, what can we speak? So do not boastfully say, “I can do… I have this gift, I have that gift, I can do this, I can do that.” Stop! If it is not God who gives you strength, we can do nothing.
The Bible also says clearly in John 15:5, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
This is our characteristic; if we leave the Father’s provision, we can do nothing! To put it back, if God lets us do things for Him here, we must run to other places; you cannot do it. God’s will is not there; you really cannot do it. Amen!
The younger son left home and gave up his father’s management to rely on himself, and then two disasters struck him simultaneously: the first was that he ran out of money, and the second was that he happened to encounter a famine. Some say this is God’s punishment on him. Some people say, “Famine is actually good; poverty is good; it can make you remember, it can give you a grateful heart.” When the younger son encountered these problems, running out of money, being looked down upon by others, and encountering famine, did he really have a grateful heart? Did he truly understand God’s grace?
Living under grace, still using a legalistic heart to rely on oneself, saying, “This is what God gave me; I must hold onto it tightly,” you will not give to others. It is the same; you will not receive anything from others. The younger son is like this. One day, when he went to feed pigs, did anyone give him anything? No, they did not. Because everyone has a legalistic heart, this person began to become poor, lacking even the necessities of life. Pigs, in the eyes of the Jews, are unclean; generally speaking, Jews never raise pigs, do not use pigs for sacrifices, and do not eat pork.
Based on this, the person raising pigs was likely a Gentile. He relied on that person, who represents the people of the world. When you leave God to rely on others, your sorrows will inevitably increase. We just read this passage; he went to rely on the pig farmer, which is actually relying on the world, using human methods, relying on human help. That person said, “Okay, but I do not feed idle people; you must work to eat.” This is the law of the world. The younger son said, “Then tell me what to do.” “Go feed the pigs.” He was already starving. This person did not first feed him and then let him work; it was work first, then food. This is the law of the world. When he relied on the world, he would inevitably get this result.
The field represents the world, and feeding pigs represents things he does not want to do but has to do to survive. How many people who do not believe in Jesus live like this? They do not want to do it but have to do it because they want to live. Only in Christ can one talk about interests and dreams; outside of Christ, there is nothing. First, rely on yourself to live, then talk about other things.
The younger son has fallen into such a state and suffered such hardships. I want to ask everyone a question: Were these sufferings prepared by his father? Definitely not. Were they permitted by his father? Yes. The first thing you can all answer is that the younger son suffered, ran out of money, and was looked down upon by others. This was not arranged by his father; it was not his father who said, “If you want to leave me, I will arrange a series of people to make you come back and beg me.” How many people think of God like this?
When they have diseases, accidents, or business failures, they say, “Lord, why do You treat me like this?” Is that what God does? When he becomes poor, he says, “Lord, why have You made me so poor? Why have You made me so miserable?” Is that what He arranged? It is clear that it is not; it is the result of relying on oneself. Amen! Here I want to tell everyone: This is not what God prepared, nor is it what God desires, but it is indeed permitted by God.
What is permission? It means you insist on doing this, and God cannot forcibly change your will, so He can only let you be like this first; this is a form of permission. When you are willing to turn back, God will restore what you have lost. This is also God’s permission. He allowed Adam and Eve to sin, allowed Jacob to have twenty years of painful experiences, but later God said, “I will greatly bless you, as long as you are willing to turn back.” What is feared is that we have wrong thoughts. Many people, when encountering these sufferings and failures, put themselves in Job’s shoes and declare themselves in what way?
We see that the younger son is actually the same as the story just mentioned; the younger son has already killed his father, already cursed his father, saying, “I want to leave you.” It is the same thing. No matter how the times change, the human heart is actually the same. If you leave gratitude, leave grace, and do not recognize God’s grace, you will fall into such depravity and indulgence, becoming greedy.
The younger son feels that he must grasp these things himself; he must hold them in his hands. He forgets that his father is the source of all his blessings. Brothers and sisters, I hope everyone remembers that our Heavenly Father is the source of your blessings. If our God does not bless you, what can you do? If God does not give us the word, what can we speak? So do not boastfully say, “I can do… I have this gift, I have that gift, I can do this, I can do that.” Stop! If it is not God who gives you strength, we can do nothing.
The Bible also says clearly in John 15:5, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
This is our characteristic; if we leave the Father’s provision, we can do nothing! To put it back, if God lets us do things for Him here, we must run to other places; you cannot do it. God’s will is not there; you really cannot do it. Amen!
The younger son left home and gave up his father’s management to rely on himself, and then two disasters struck him simultaneously: the first was that he ran out of money, and the second was that he happened to encounter a famine. Some say this is God’s punishment on him. Some people say, “Famine is actually good; poverty is good; it can make you remember, it can give you a grateful heart.” When the younger son encountered these problems, running out of money, being looked down upon by others, and encountering famine, did he really have a grateful heart? Did he truly understand God’s grace?
Living under grace, still using a legalistic heart to rely on oneself, saying, “This is what God gave me; I must hold onto it tightly,” you will not give to others. It is the same; you will not receive anything from others. The younger son is like this. One day, when he went to feed pigs, did anyone give him anything? No, they did not. Because everyone has a legalistic heart, this person began to become poor, lacking even the necessities of life. Pigs, in the eyes of the Jews, are unclean; generally speaking, Jews never raise pigs, do not use pigs for sacrifices, and do not eat pork.
Based on this, the person raising pigs was likely a Gentile. He relied on that person, who represents the people of the world. When you leave God to rely on others, your sorrows will inevitably increase. We just read this passage; he went to rely on the pig farmer, which is actually relying on the world, using human methods, relying on human help. That person said, “Okay, but I do not feed idle people; you must work to eat.” This is the law of the world. The younger son said, “Then tell me what to do.” “Go feed the pigs.” He was already starving. This person did not first feed him and then let him work; it was work first, then food. This is the law of the world. When he relied on the world, he would inevitably get this result.
The field represents the world, and feeding pigs represents things he does not want to do but has to do to survive. How many people who do not believe in Jesus live like this? They do not want to do it but have to do it because they want to live. Only in Christ can one talk about interests and dreams; outside of Christ, there is nothing. First, rely on yourself to live, then talk about other things.
The younger son has fallen into such a state and suffered such hardships. I want to ask everyone a question: Were these sufferings prepared by his father? Definitely not. Were they permitted by his father? Yes. The first thing you can all answer is that the younger son suffered, ran out of money, and was looked down upon by others. This was not arranged by his father; it was not his father who said, “If you want to leave me, I will arrange a series of people to make you come back and beg me.” How many people think of God like this?
When they have diseases, accidents, or business failures, they say, “Lord, why do You treat me like this?” Is that what God does? When he becomes poor, he says, “Lord, why have You made me so poor? Why have You made me so miserable?” Is that what He arranged? It is clear that it is not; it is the result of relying on oneself. Amen! Here I want to tell everyone: This is not what God prepared, nor is it what God desires, but it is indeed permitted by God.
What is permission? It means you insist on doing this, and God cannot forcibly change your will, so He can only let you be like this first; this is a form of permission. When you are willing to turn back, God will restore what you have lost. This is also God’s permission. He allowed Adam and Eve to sin, allowed Jacob to have twenty years of painful experiences, but later God said, “I will greatly bless you, as long as you are willing to turn back.” What is feared is that we have wrong thoughts. Many people, when encountering these sufferings and failures, put themselves in Job’s shoes and declare themselves in what way?
We see that the younger son is actually the same as the story just mentioned; the younger son has already killed his father, already cursed his father, saying, “I want to leave you.” It is the same thing. No matter how the times change, the human heart is actually the same. If you leave gratitude, leave grace, and do not recognize God’s grace, you will fall into such depravity and indulgence, becoming greedy.
The younger son feels that he must grasp these things himself; he must hold them in his hands. He forgets that his father is the source of all his blessings. Brothers and sisters, I hope everyone remembers that our Heavenly Father is the source of your blessings. If our God does not bless you, what can you do? If God does not give us the word, what can we speak? So do not boastfully say, “I can do… I have this gift, I have that gift, I can do this, I can do that.” Stop! If it is not God who gives you strength, we can do nothing.
The Bible also says clearly in John 15:5, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
This is our characteristic; if we leave the Father’s provision, we can do nothing! To put it back, if God lets us do things for Him here, we must run to other places; you cannot do it. God’s will is not there; you really cannot do it. Amen!
The younger son left home and gave up his father’s management to rely on himself, and then two disasters struck him simultaneously: the first was that he ran out of money, and the second was that he happened to encounter a famine. Some say this is God’s punishment on him. Some people say, “Famine is actually good; poverty is good; it can make you remember, it can give you a grateful heart.” When the younger son encountered these problems, running out of money, being looked down upon by others, and encountering famine, did he really have a grateful heart? Did he truly understand God’s grace?
Living under grace, still using a legalistic heart to rely on oneself, saying, “This is what God gave me; I must hold onto it tightly,” you will not give to others. It is the same; you will not receive anything from others. The younger son is like this. One day, when he went to feed pigs, did anyone give him anything? No, they did not. Because everyone has a legalistic heart, this person began to become poor, lacking even the necessities of life. Pigs, in the eyes of the Jews, are unclean; generally speaking, Jews never raise pigs, do not use pigs for sacrifices, and do not eat pork.
Based on this, the person raising pigs was likely a Gentile. He relied on that person, who represents the people of the world. When you leave God to rely on others, your sorrows will inevitably increase. We just read this passage; he went to rely on the pig farmer, which is actually relying on the world, using human methods, relying on human help. That person said, “Okay, but I do not feed idle people; you must work to eat.” This is the law of the world. The younger son said, “Then tell me what to do.” “Go feed the pigs.” He was already starving. This person did not first feed him and then let him work; it was work first, then food. This is the law of the world. When he relied on the world, he would inevitably get this result.
The field represents the world, and feeding pigs represents things he does not want to do but has to do to survive. How many people who do not believe in Jesus live like this? They do not want to do it but have to do it because they want to live. Only in Christ can one talk about interests and dreams; outside of Christ, there is nothing. First, rely on yourself to live, then talk about other things.
The younger son has fallen into such a state and suffered such hardships. I want to ask everyone a question: Were these sufferings prepared by his father? Definitely not. Were they permitted by his father? Yes. The first thing you can all answer is that the younger son suffered, ran out of money, and was looked down upon by others. This was not arranged by his father; it was not his father who said, “If you want to leave me, I will arrange a series of people to make you come back and beg me.” How many people think of God like this?
When they have diseases, accidents, or business failures, they say, “Lord, why do You treat me like this?” Is that what God does? When he becomes poor, he says, “Lord, why have You made me so poor? Why have You made me so miserable?” Is that what He arranged? It is clear that it is not; it is the result of relying on oneself. Amen! Here I want to tell everyone: This is not what God prepared, nor is it what God desires, but it is indeed permitted by God.
What is permission? It means you insist on doing this, and God cannot forcibly change your will, so He can only let you be like this first; this is a form of permission. When you are willing to turn back, God will restore what you have lost. This is also God’s permission. He allowed Adam and Eve to sin, allowed Jacob to have twenty years of painful experiences, but later God said, “I will greatly bless you, as long as you are willing to turn back.” What is feared is that we have wrong thoughts. Many people, when encountering these sufferings and failures, put themselves in Job’s shoes and declare themselves in what way?
We see that the younger son is actually the same as the story just mentioned; the younger son has already killed his father, already cursed his father, saying, “I want to leave you.” It is the same thing. No matter how the times change, the human heart is actually the same. If you leave gratitude, leave grace, and do not recognize God’s grace, you will fall into such depravity and indulgence, becoming greedy.
The younger son feels that he must grasp these things himself; he must hold them in his hands. He forgets that his father is the source of all his blessings. Brothers and sisters, I hope everyone remembers that our Heavenly Father is the source of your blessings. If our God does not bless you, what can you do? If God does not give us the word, what can we speak? So do not boastfully say, “I can do… I have this gift, I have that gift, I can do this, I can do that.” Stop! If it is not God who gives you strength, we can do nothing.
The Bible also says clearly in John 15:5, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
This is our characteristic; if we leave the Father’s provision, we can do nothing! To put it back, if God lets us do things for Him here, we must run to other places; you cannot do it. God’s will is not there; you really cannot do it. Amen!
The younger son left home and gave up his father’s management to rely on himself, and then two disasters struck him simultaneously: the first was that he ran out of money, and the second was that he happened to encounter a famine. Some say this is God’s punishment on him. Some people say, “Famine is actually good; poverty is good; it can make you remember, it can give you a grateful heart.” When the younger son encountered these problems, running out of money, being looked down upon by others, and encountering famine, did he really have a grateful heart? Did he truly understand God’s grace?
Living under grace, still using a legalistic heart to rely on oneself, saying, “This is what God gave me; I must hold onto it tightly,” you will not give to others. It is the same; you will not receive anything from others. The younger son is like this. One day, when he went to feed pigs, did anyone give him anything? No, they did not. Because everyone has a legalistic heart, this person began to become poor, lacking even the necessities of life. Pigs, in the eyes of the Jews, are unclean; generally speaking, Jews never raise pigs, do not use pigs for sacrifices, and do not eat pork.
Based on this, the person raising pigs was likely a Gentile. He relied on that person, who represents the people of the world. When you leave God to rely on others, your sorrows will inevitably increase. We just read this passage; he went to rely on the pig farmer, which is actually relying on the world, using human methods, relying on human help. That person said, “Okay, but I do not feed idle people; you must work to eat.” This is the law of the world. The younger son said, “Then tell me what to do.” “Go feed the pigs.” He was already starving. This person did not first feed him and then let him work; it was work first, then food. This is the law of the world. When he relied on the world, he would inevitably get this result.
The field represents the world, and feeding pigs represents things he does not want to do but has to do to survive. How many people who do not believe in Jesus live like this? They do not want to do it but have to do it because they want to live. Only in Christ can one talk about interests and dreams; outside of Christ, there is nothing. First, rely on yourself to live, then talk about other things.
The younger son has fallen into such a state and suffered such hardships. I want to ask everyone a question: Were these sufferings prepared by his father? Definitely not. Were they permitted by his father? Yes. The first thing you can all answer is that the younger son suffered, ran out of money, and was looked down upon by others. This was not arranged by his father; it was not his father who said, “If you want to leave me, I will arrange a series of people to make you come back and beg me.” How many people think of God like this?
When they have diseases, accidents, or business failures, they say, “Lord, why do You treat me like this?” Is that what God does? When he becomes poor, he says, “Lord, why have You made me so poor? Why have You made me so miserable?” Is that what He arranged? It is clear that it is not; it is the result of relying on oneself. Amen! Here I want to tell everyone: This is not what God prepared, nor is it what God desires, but it is indeed permitted by God.
What is permission? It means you insist on doing this, and God cannot forcibly change your will, so He can only let you be like this first; this is a form of permission. When you are willing to turn back, God will restore what you have lost. This is also God’s permission. He allowed Adam and Eve to sin, allowed Jacob to have twenty years of painful experiences, but later God said, “I will greatly bless you, as long as you are willing to turn back.” What is feared is that we have wrong thoughts. Many people, when encountering these sufferings and failures, put themselves in Job’s shoes and declare themselves in what way?
We see that the younger son is actually the same as the story just mentioned; the younger son has already killed his father, already cursed his father, saying, “I want to leave you.” It is the same thing. No matter how the times change, the human heart is actually the same. If you leave gratitude, leave grace, and do not recognize God’s grace, you will fall into such depravity and indulgence, becoming greedy.
The younger son feels that he must grasp these things himself; he must hold them in his hands. He forgets that his father is the source of all his blessings. Brothers and sisters, I hope everyone remembers that our Heavenly Father is the source of your blessings. If our God does not bless you, what can you do? If God does not give us the word, what can we speak? So do not boastfully say, “I can do… I have this gift, I have that gift, I can do this, I can do that.” Stop! If it is not God who gives you strength, we can do nothing.
The Bible also says clearly in John 15:5, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
This is our characteristic; if we leave the Father’s provision, we can do nothing! To put it back, if God lets us do things for Him here, we must run to other places; you cannot do it. God’s will is not there; you really cannot do it. Amen!
The younger son left home and gave up his father’s management to rely on himself, and then two disasters struck him simultaneously: the first was that he ran out of money, and the second was that he happened to encounter a famine. Some say this is God’s punishment on him. Some people say, “Famine is actually good; poverty is good; it can make you remember, it can give you a grateful heart.” When the younger son encountered these problems, running out of money, being looked down upon by others, and encountering famine, did he really have a grateful heart? Did he truly understand God’s grace?
Living under grace, still using a legalistic heart to rely on oneself, saying, “This is what God gave me; I must hold onto it tightly,” you will not give to others. It is the same; you will not receive anything from others. The younger son is like this. One day, when he went to feed pigs, did anyone give him anything? No, they did not. Because everyone has a legalistic heart, this person began to become poor, lacking even the necessities of life. Pigs, in the eyes of the Jews, are unclean; generally speaking, Jews never raise pigs, do not use pigs for sacrifices, and do not eat pork.
Based on this, the person raising pigs was likely a Gentile. He relied on that person, who represents the people of the world. When you leave God to rely on others, your sorrows will inevitably increase. We just read this passage; he went to rely on the pig farmer, which is actually relying on the world, using human methods, relying on human help. That person said, “Okay, but I do not feed idle people; you must work to eat.” This is the law of the world. The younger son said, “Then tell me what to do.” “Go feed the pigs.” He was already starving. This person did not first feed him and then let him work; it was work first, then food. This is the law of the world. When he relied on the world, he would inevitably get this result.
The field represents the world, and feeding pigs represents things he does not want to do but has to do to survive. How many people who do not believe in Jesus live like this? They do not want to do it but have to do it because they want to live. Only in Christ can one talk about interests and dreams; outside of Christ, there is nothing. First, rely on yourself to live, then talk about other things.
The younger son has fallen into such a state and suffered such hardships. I want to ask everyone a question: Were these sufferings prepared by his father? Definitely not. Were they permitted by his father? Yes. The first thing you can all answer is that the younger son suffered, ran out of money, and was looked down upon by others. This was not arranged by his father; it was not his father who said, “If you want to leave me, I will arrange a series of people to make you come back and beg me.” How many people think of God like this?
When they have diseases, accidents, or business failures, they say, “Lord, why do You treat me like this?” Is that what God does? When he becomes poor, he says, “Lord, why have You made me so poor? Why have You made me so miserable?” Is that what He arranged? It is clear that it is not; it is the result of relying on oneself. Amen! Here I want to tell everyone: This is not what God prepared, nor is it what God desires, but it is indeed permitted by God.
What is permission? It means you insist on doing this, and God cannot forcibly change your will, so He can only let you be like this first; this is a form of permission. When you are willing to turn back, God will restore what you have lost. This is also God’s permission. He allowed Adam and Eve to sin, allowed Jacob to have twenty years of painful experiences, but later God said, “I will greatly bless you, as long as you are willing to turn back.” What is feared is that we have wrong thoughts. Many people, when encountering these sufferings and failures, put themselves in Job’s shoes and declare themselves in what way?
We see that the younger son is actually the same as the story just mentioned; the younger son has already killed his father, already cursed his father, saying, “I want to leave you.” It is the same thing. No matter how the times change, the human heart is actually the same. If you leave gratitude, leave grace, and do not recognize God’s grace, you will fall into such depravity and indulgence, becoming greedy.
The younger son feels that he must grasp these things himself; he must hold them in his hands. He forgets that his father is the source of all his blessings. Brothers and sisters, I hope everyone remembers that our Heavenly Father is the source of your blessings. If our God does not bless you, what can you do? If God does not give us the word, what can we speak? So do not boastfully say, “I can do… I have this gift, I have that gift, I can do this, I can do that.” Stop! If it is not God who gives you strength, we can do nothing.
The Bible also says clearly in John 15:5, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
This is our characteristic; if we leave the Father’s provision, we can do nothing! To put it back, if God lets us do things for Him here, we must run to other places; you cannot do it. God’s will is not there; you really cannot do it. Amen!
The younger son left home and gave up his father’s management to rely on himself, and then two disasters struck him simultaneously: the first was that he ran out of money, and the second was that he happened to encounter a famine. Some say this is God’s punishment on him. Some people say, “Famine is actually good; poverty is good; it can make you remember, it can give you a grateful heart.” When the younger son encountered these problems, running out of money, being looked down upon by others, and encountering famine, did he really have a grateful heart? Did he truly understand God’s grace?
Living under grace, still using a legalistic heart to rely on oneself, saying, “This is what God gave me; I must hold onto it tightly,” you will not give to others. It is the same; you will not receive anything from others. The younger son is like this. One day, when he went to feed pigs, did anyone give him anything? No, they did not. Because everyone has a legalistic heart, this person began to become poor, lacking even the necessities of life. Pigs, in the eyes of the Jews, are unclean; generally speaking, Jews never raise pigs, do not use pigs for sacrifices, and do not eat pork.
Based on this, the person raising pigs was likely a Gentile. He relied on that person, who represents the people of the world. When you leave God to rely on others, your sorrows will inevitably increase. We just read this passage; he went to rely on the pig farmer, which is actually relying on the world, using human methods, relying on human help. That person said, “Okay, but I do not feed idle people; you must work to eat.” This is the law of the world. The younger son said, “Then tell me what to do.” “Go feed the pigs.” He was already starving. This person did not first feed him and then let him work; it was work first, then food. This is the law of the world. When he relied on the world, he would inevitably get this result.
The field represents the world, and feeding pigs represents things he does not want to do but has to do to survive. How many people who do not believe in Jesus live like this? They do not want to do it but have to do it because they want to live. Only in Christ can one talk about interests and dreams; outside of Christ, there is nothing. First, rely on yourself to live, then talk about other things.
The younger son has fallen into such a state and suffered such hardships. I want to ask everyone a question: Were these sufferings prepared by his father? Definitely not. Were they permitted by his father? Yes. The first thing you can all answer is that the younger son suffered, ran out of money, and was looked down upon by others. This was not arranged by his father; it was not his father who said, “If you want to leave me, I will arrange a series of people to make you come back and beg me.” How many people think of God like this?
When they have diseases, accidents, or business failures, they say, “Lord, why do You treat me like this?” Is that what God does? When he becomes poor, he says, “Lord, why have You made me so poor? Why have You made me so miserable?” Is that what He arranged? It is clear that it is not; it is the result of relying on oneself. Amen! Here I want to tell everyone: This is not what God prepared, nor is it what God desires, but it is indeed permitted by God.
What is permission? It means you insist on doing this, and God cannot forcibly change your will, so He can only let you be like this first; this is a form of permission. When you are willing to turn back, God will restore what you have lost. This is also God’s permission. He allowed Adam and Eve to sin, allowed Jacob to have twenty years of painful experiences, but later God said, “I will greatly bless you, as long as you are willing to turn back.” What is feared is that we have wrong thoughts. Many people, when encountering these sufferings and failures, put themselves in Job’s shoes and declare themselves in what way?
We see that the younger son is actually the same as the story just mentioned; the younger son has already killed his father, already cursed his father, saying, “I want to leave you.” It is the same thing. No matter how the times change, the human heart is actually the same. If you leave gratitude, leave grace, and do not recognize God’s grace, you will fall into such depravity and indulgence, becoming greedy.
The younger son feels that he must grasp these things himself; he must hold them in his hands. He forgets that his father is the source of all his blessings. Brothers and sisters, I hope everyone remembers that our Heavenly Father is the source of your blessings. If our God does not bless you, what can you do? If God does not give us the word, what can we speak? So do not boastfully say, “I can do… I have this gift, I have that gift, I can do this, I can do that.” Stop! If it is not God who gives you strength, we can do nothing.
The Bible also says clearly in John 15:5, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
This is our characteristic; if we leave the Father’s provision, we can do nothing! To put it back, if God lets us do things for Him here, we must run to other places; you cannot do it. God’s will is not there; you really cannot do it. Amen!