Daily Devotion | Day 324
“But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry” (Luke 15:22-24, NKJV).
Today we continue our study of “Abundance in the Father’s House” by highlighting an important point in the Parable of the Prodigal Son. Before we do so, let us make some observations to reinforce the point we are making in this series. What you expect from God is an indicator of who you think He is and what you think He can (and will) do. If you are convinced that He is a God of abundance, you will expect nothing but abundance. And you will receive what you believe. God’s desire is not to bless you a little. That would be against His nature. His aim is to overwhelm you with blessings and to leave you speechless.
Read the Bible attentively from Genesis through Revelation. What you will notice is a pattern of God lavishing His people with an overflow of mercies, favor, goodness, wealth and prosperity. Take Isaac, for example. Once upon a time there was drought in the land where he lived. So, he moved and settled as a stranger among the Philistines in Gerar. This is what happened next: “Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundred fold; and the LORD blessed him. The man [Isaac] began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous” (Genesis 26:12-13). Lack, scarcity and stinginess are foreign to the Father. Therefore, when you are dealing with Him, expect abundance only and leave unlimited room for Him to surprise you.
Now let us look at the prodigal son. His life was a mess. But he had one thing going for him. Having lived with his father, he was familiar with life in that house. He knew his father’s house was noted for lavish living, abundance and overflow of good things. This awareness gave him hope. Listen to what he said when he had had enough of hardship, “How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father . . .” (Luke 15:17-18). Even the hired servants in the father’s house enjoyed abundance. Knowing he had lost his position as a son, all he wanted was to be hired as a servant and that would have sufficed for him. To his surprise, however, the father restored him as his son.
In our opening Scripture (15:22-24), notice how the father lavished the son with abundance and royal treatment. He put on him the best robe. He put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. Then he ordered the servants to prepare a party (with the fatted calf) to celebrate the return of his son. The rest of the day was spent in merry making: eating, drinking, singing and dancing.
When all hope seemed lost for the prodigal son, a single thought made the difference: the thought that his father’s house was a house of abundance. This thought fueled his expectation. And from how the story ended, the prodigal son was not wrong in what he believed about his father. Christians can learn a lesson here. That lesson is this: Whatever you desire to see, that is what you should expect. Expectation drives hope. And sooner or later, your expectation will become your reality.
The Father wants to celebrate you with abundance of good things: wisdom, wealth, favor, provision, divine protection, success, peace of mind, joy and overall prosperity. Do not resist abundance. Give God a chance to celebrate you. The state of your life has a lot to do with the state of your mind. Therefore, fill your mind with thoughts of abundance, provision and divine favor. Our Father is still in the abundance business. Expect nothing but abundance.
To be continued tomorrow, God willing.
For further study: Isaiah 55:1-13 and Deuteronomy 8:1-18
Higher-Self Realities 