Quotable
Morning and Evening
Charles Spurgeon's Daily Devotion for
Charles H. Spurgeon was called the 'Prince of
preachers' and was England's best-known preacher for most of the second half
of the 19th century.
His classic Morning and Evening continues to be a
popular daily devotional today.
What is an example of Prodigal sons and Prodigal pigs?
Ruth 1:6-10 Then she arose with her daughters-in-law that she might return from the land of Moab, for she had heard in the land of Moab that the Lord had visited His people in giving them food. So she departed from the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, 'Go, return each of you to her mother's house. May the Lord deal kindly with you as you have dealt with the dead and with me. 'May the Lord grant that you may find rest, each in the house of her husband.' Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. And they said to her, 'No, but we will surely return with you to your people.'
Finally a good decision is made. They are coming home for the Lord had visited his people in giving them food! That's the truth! Though He had seemed far away and His provision was slow in coming (through human eyes) yet he had been aware all along of their situation and did provide when the time was right. We need to learn from this. Naomi did and we see her now, like the prodigal, ready to return home. It may have taken ten years but she had to return.
A quick comparison of Naomi's life with the prodigal son story in Luke 15:11-32 reveals the following. Both left home and took all they had. Both journeyed to a foreign country, living among pagans and ended up losing everything. Both recognised their failure and their need to return home; both came home with nothing and very sorrowful. Neither considered themselves worthy of being called the same person that had left. Both would be greatly surprised with how their Father would bless them after returning.
If you have been a Christian long enough, you have no doubt seen those that have fallen away and gone back to Egypt so to speak. I recently read something written by J. Vernon McGee about what he called, the 'prodigal pig'. Speaking of false believers going back to the world Peter wrote 'A sow after washing returns to wallowing in the mud.' McGee picked up on this and said that within the church you have prodigal sons, and you have prodigal pigs. Hard to tell them apart initially, but time always tells the difference. He said that a true born again believer may be a prodigal son for a season, wandering off to the world, but being a true son he will never be happy there and will return home. On the other hand you have prodigal pigs! They have not truly been saved, but come to church and for a season will wash themselves and clean up their act. But having the nature of a pig, they will never be happy in Church and given time will return to wallowing in the mud!
But I also think that if you have been a Christian even longer, you would have seen the true believers return from Egypt to God. That is always the nature of the true prodigal son. Here, God had bought her to the place where, stripped of her natural support, she would once again turn and look to the Lord God of Israel.