Luke 15:17 “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger!’”

What exactly does it mean when it says he “finally came to his senses”? Surely the prodigal knew what he was doing when he took his fortune and squandered it. Surely he didn’t go into the whole thing with his eyes closed? What it means is that his situation did not change overnight but gradually, much the way sin drags us away and it isn’t until we are a long way from where we started that we suddenly realize the surroundings have changed. Coming to your senses begins with questions like “How did I get here?” and “What am I doing here?” It is the first acknowledgement that something, somewhere has gone drastically wrong. Was it the starvation, the pigs, the smell…whatever it was that suddenly opened the prodigal's eyes, it got him asking the right questions. Much like us when we realize our need for God or realize there is something missing (even if we don’t initially know exactly what it is). We realize there has to be “more” or something “better”. It is these questions that eventually lead us ‘home’ to our Heavenly Father. Are you tired of your circumstances? What type of situation is waiting for you in your “Father’s house”?

Pray: “Father, I too have squandered much in my life and made a habit far too often of going my own way. Still, I know that no matter how far I wander, no matter how low I sink, you are waiting for me with open arms when I finally start asking the ‘right questions’ and follow them back to your loving arms. Thank you for always waiting for me. In my blessed Savior’s name I pray – Amen.”