The Unknown Treasure

Bible Reading: Luke 15:11-32

Today’s reading centres on the prodigal son who collected his inheritance and travelled to a far country and he wasted his inheritance. After he realized his mistake, he decided to return home to ask for his father’s forgiveness. The later part of the parable shows the elder son’s displeasure towards his father for welcoming his younger brother – the prodigal son. However, amidst the elder son’s anger and displeasure, the father revealed something unknown to his older son. This situation opens a door of revelation that has the potential to change the son’s perspective and give him understanding. The father clearly said: ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours’.

The implication of this statement is that the older son had the opportunity to enjoy privileges accrue to being with his father. However, the older son seems ignorant to the fact that he could access everything that belong to his father. As a child of God, we have access to an unending grace, divine revelation and leading of the Holy Spirit when we continually abide with our heavenly Father. The older son owned all that belong to his father even though he did not know. Do you know that many Christians are ignorant of their identity in Christ?

Many children of God  are unaware of their rights, responsibilities, and privileges as sons and daughters of God. Like the older son in this parable who was oblivious to the truth although he is with his father, they think that serving God is ‘slaving’. The older son’s understanding of service was slavery, while his father sees service as an avenue for bonding and a privilege which gives the son an undeniable access to whatever he desired.

Apostle Paul’s prayers blesses me each time I pray it because it is about spiritual understanding, wisdom, strength, insight and other spiritual virtues are essential in life and cannot be compromised for anything. Paul prayed ‘[…May] God fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding’ (Colossians 1:9b). If God fills you with the knowledge of His will, you are able to understand His mind, and you won’t go astray except you choose to disobey Him. In our reading today, the older son lived with his father, yet he was oblivious to the deep truth of the kingdom. He never asked for anything- No wonder Jesus said ‘You may ask for anything in my name, and I will do it’ (John 14:14).

Dear beloved, as God’s children, we are joint heirs with Christ. Knowing who we are in Christ Jesus and daily walking in the reality of our identity in Him is important. At KSi, we encourage you to continually study, meditate on, believe in, and live by the truth in God’s word. God bless you.

Daily Confession: And [I pray] that the eyes of your heart [the very center and core of your being] may be enlightened [flooded with light by the Holy Spirit], so that you will know and cherish the hope [the divine guarantee, the confident expectation] to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints (God’s people), and [so that you will begin to know] what the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His [active, spiritual] power is in us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of His mighty strength which He produced in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion [whether angelic or human], and [far above] every name that is named [above every title that can be conferred], not only in this age and world but also in the one to come. And He put all things [in every realm] in subjection under Christ’s feet, and appointed Him as [supreme and authoritative] head over all things in the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills and completes all things in all [believers]. (Ephesians 1:18-23, AMP)

Hymn: I’m pressing on the upward way,

New heights I’m gaining every day;

Still praying as I onward bound,

“Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.”