A teaching by Rev. Barbara Williams, President of the Ministry of the Watchman International
Week of February 22-26, 2021
MONDAY
I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”
Luke 15:18-19
Everybody has sinned at some time. Sin is defined as missing the mark. You aim for something and miss. Why do we miss? Many reasons: we lack knowledge, we can’t see well, we lack skill, we need help. These are all reasons for missing the mark. We want the right thing, but we want it the wrong way or for the wrong reasons. This is sin. We desire things instead of values. We desire position instead of posture. We lack the ability to desire rightly. Our best efforts can lead to sin. This is why God offers the remedy for sin: it is more than forgiveness, it is righteousness.
If you are in need of healing, there is good news! Proverbs 4:20-22 SAYS:
My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
So there is life and health in God’s word. Since God’s word is medicine, we must take it like we would a prescription. I suggest three times a day, like you would your food. Remember, healing is the children’s bread. Consider this your “dose” for today. Remember, read, and meditate three times a day the following:
Rx: Mark 11:23-24 ~ For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, “Be removed and be cast into the sea,” and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
“Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
2 Timothy 2:15
If you’ve never studied the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, we invite you to join us as we read through the Bible in a year. Read and meditate on these chapters this week:
February 22: Exodus 5, Luke 8, Job 22, 1 Corinthians 9
February 23: Exodus 6, Luke 9, Job 23, 1 Corinthians 10
February 24: Exodus 7, Luke 10, Job 24, 1 Corinthians 11
February 25: Exodus 8, Luke 11, Job 25-26, 1 Corinthians 12
February 26: Exodus 9, Luke 12, Job 27, 1 Corinthians 13
February 27: Exodus 10, Luke 13, Job 28, 1 Corinthians 14
February 28: Exodus 11:1-12:21, Luke 14, Job 29, 1 Corinthians 15
TUESDAY
I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”
Luke 15:18-19
When we sin, we have an awareness of our unrighteousness, much like the younger son in this parable. This man wanted the right thing, his inheritance, but in the wrong way. Part of his inheritance is money and goods, but the major part of his inheritance is something he cannot see. A major part of his inheritance is the father’s character, the foundation being righteousness. Without the character of the father, the inheritance means nothing, which this young man soon finds out. In fact, the inheritance is easily lost because of lack of character development.
WEDNESDAY
I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”
Luke 15:18-19
When a person sins, there is an awareness of separation from God. This is expressed in the son’s statement, “I have sinned, and I am not worthy.” When we have feelings of unworthiness, it is because we are conscious of sin or separation from God. God’s presence, or our awareness of His presence reinforces our sense of worth. We draw our sense of worth from our awareness of God. When we have fellowship with Him, we are built up and aware of righteousness. When we sin or are conscious of our sin, or shortcomings, we have an awareness of our unrighteousness, hence the feeling, “I am not worthy.”
THURSDAY
I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”
Luke 15:18-19
So how did this young man find himself again? He found himself through repentance. He said within himself, “I will rise and go to my father and say this.” He decided to confess the obvious. When he found himself in a place of utter despair, he located his true self. Sometimes we become aware of our goodness in bad surroundings. There are young people who leave the security of the family and the church because they “don’t like the hypocrisy” or “don’t like the rules.” They would love to take enough money from the family to go out and live it up at the parents’ expense. Like this young man, they want fun, but the wrong kind.
FRIDAY
I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”
Luke 15:18-19
The lust that he held in his heart (sin consciousness) conceived his plan to squander his portion of the family fortune. Actually, he felt unworthy the moment he desired his father’s goods. The sin conscious soul carries guilt, but the desire to sin seems to take over. This has happened to everyone. His desire to live it up created a sin consciousness that he should have repented of before he acted on it. When sin is acted on, then the wages must be paid. Losing everything was the payoff for this young man. When his circumstances revealed that his desire was unrighteous, he was able to see clearly his need for repentance and to be restored to fellowship with his father.
There are many prodigals in our midst. Let us pray that they will “come to themselves” and arise to the level of God’s righteousness through repentance. Let this be a time for us to return to righteousness… this is our inheritance.