Thoughts for Today
Enabling is anything that stands in the way of or softens the
natural consequences of a person's behavior.
God does not want us to enable others in their wrongdoing. Neither
does he enable us when we choose to walk in disobedience to him. He
loves us too much to enable us in our wrongdoing. He knows that we
will not come to our senses and change our ways unless he allows us
to suffer the natural consequences of what we do.
The great thing is that, just like the father of the prodigal son,
our heavenly Father is loving us and watching for us. He wants us
to come home and will run out to meet us, showering his love, mercy
and forgiveness on us, when we return.
Consider this...
Do you need to return? Perhaps you have recently fallen into
something you know you shouldn't do...your Father is waiting for you.
Perhaps you have been locked into a downward spiral and feel as
though there is no way out. God always provides a way. He is just
waiting for you to come to him with a repentant heart. His arms are
open wide. ..no matter what you have done. Jesus has already paid
the price for your sin. Receive his forgiveness. He loves you
unconditionally and is waiting to help you.
Prayer...
Father, I am so sorry for what I have been doing. Please forgive me
and show me the way out. In Jesus' name ...
4 comments:
Beautiful, Karen. Thanks for posting this.
This is so good. Our loving Father does discipline us when we need it. But, he also protects us and loves us. If we try to do the right thing, he will be there to lift us up. Always. Aren't we just so blessed to know our Heavenly Father?
This is so much of what I needed for now. I have been studying and praying the prodigal son for some time now. I notice today that the father did not go after the son when he left and he didn't go looking for him to bring him back. He didn't supply any of his needs, or give him anything - until the son came back on his own - after realizing how much he gave up by running away and thinking there was something better than his father's home. When he came back of his own, the father welcomed him with open arms and gave him so much more than he could ever have expected or imagined! And the son had to get to the lowest of the low (groveling with the pigs in the mud) before he had enough courage to come back home. Good lessons for us and for me in our trials with Dennis and Josh right now. Lots of hope here, too! What a loving father we have! The hardest thing about this story is that the father didn't and couldn't allow himself to enable the son to continue being a problem for him. He must have felt bad not giving him what he needed, and not going after him. He had to just sit by and let the son get to the lowest of his life. And that is something I can relate to in this time of troubles with Dennis and Josh. I will always welcome them with open arms - when they come to the realization that they need help and go get it. Not enabling them is very difficult. I pray daily for them, and ask God to bless their lives.
That's right, mom! Such a wise woman you are. I was studying the prodigal son recently and what struck me was that the son had to do something about his unpleasant circumstances. Nobody did it for him. But he sure had to get low before he looked for help. There will come a day!
Debbie the prophet! This day truly is here! Dennis has hit his low point for sure. Hopefully he will be able to come back to who he really is and their family can be a family again. But, it may not happen. God is at work in that Linda got her and the boys out of that situation just in time! And Josh is probably thinking he's at his lowest right now, too. And the Marine's are making him into a person who has a future! Let's offer prayers of thanks giving for all HE does in our lives. Our God is an Awesome God!
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