ALWAYS WITH ME
«Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours» (Luke 15:31).
In the Parable of the Prodigal Son, the older son does not want to attend the welcome party for his brother. Although his father begs him, he replies, «Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him» (Luke 15:29, 30). Beyond envy, the older brother’s problem was his tendency to want to control everything, including his father.
Sometimes we treat God as if He were a customer loyalty card. We believe that if we put together enough «obedience points,» we will get God to give us a muffin as a gift: a good job, an upstanding husband, healthy children . . .but this transactional faith is nothing but legalism! If we are offended when God receives the prodigal sister with a basket of muffins, it is because we believe that we can manipulate God with our obedience.
Our obedience is not an insurance policy against injustices. Three brave men in the Old Testament understood this perfectly: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. In their heroic response to King Nebuchadnezzar, they made it clear that God could save them from the fiery furnace: «But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods» (Daniel 3:18). «But if not”; three courageous words that condense an important theological truth: our obedience depends not on what God does, but on who He is. In her book Be Victorious, Helen Roberts explained, «Our obedience should never be determined by what God does, or does not do, for us.» Obedience is not transactional, but relational.
«Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours,» said the father in the parable (Luke 15:31). Don’t miss the tenderness! God says, «You are with me. Muffins are not the best thing I can give you; I’m the best thing! Being by my side is the most abundant reward.» To free us of transactional legalism, God reminds us of our true identity. We are not employees who work for crumbs. We are beloved daughters and heiresses.
Dear Lord, I want to obey You out of love, not fear or manipulation. Help me mature in faith. I open my heart to Your grace and my mind to Your correction. Thank you because even though my motivations are not perfect, You love me and want to be by my side.
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Take From: Devotional Thoughts for Women 2022
«NO FEARS»
BY: VANEZA PISSUTO
Collaborators: Alexandra Pérez & Angelica Cuate.