Verse of the Day 8/29

Verse of the Day 8/29

Luke 15:22-23 ^???? ???Turning to his servants, the father said, ???Quick, bring me the best robe, my very own robe, and I will place it on his shoulders. Bring the ring, the seal of sonship,^[a]??and I will put it on his finger. And bring out the best shoes^[b]??you can find for my son.??^23??Let???s??prepare a great feast^[c]and celebrate.?????? The Passion Translation (TPT)

For today's post, we turn to the book of Luke and the parable of the prodigal son.?? Most, if not all of us, are familiar with the parable where the younger son demands his earthly inheritance from his father and then goes of and squanders it.?? Humiliated he decides to return to his father thinking that he will go back to him asking him to be treated like one of his hired servants.?? He had learned his lesson.?? Instead of being angry , the father sees him a long way off and runs to him.?? Most translations simply tell us the the father says to his servants "bring the best robe, put a ring on his finger, shoes on his feat and bring out the fatted calf to celebrate.

The Passion Translation points out the significance of the ring as "the seal of sonship".?? Pastor and author Max Lucado writes, "In Christ???s day rings were more than gifts; they were symbols of delegated sovereignty. The bearer of the ring could speak on behalf of the giver. It was used to press a seal into soft wax to validate a transaction. The one who wore the ring conducted business in the name of the one who gave it...Would you have done this? Would you have given this prodigal son power-of-attorney privileges over your affairs? Would you have entrusted him with a credit card? Would you have given him this ring?"

The son had squandered his financial inheritance, but the father gives him something more important than that on his return.?? He restores him to his position and gives him the ring of authority.?? It is much like a power of attorney.?? What the son says carries the weight of the father, it is not to be used selfishly, but on behalf of the father.?? The son wouldn't squander this.?? As Christians we have been given such a seal, God has put His seal on us.?? With our baptism and life in His name we show to others that we are His and we live our lives on his behalf.

Think of all that He has given you. Live for Him, don't squander what He's given you.

--   In Christ,  Mike    Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com  Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,  in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV    

Luke 15:17-24??New King James Version (NKJV)

^17?????But when he came to himself, he said, ???How many of my father???s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!??^18??I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, ???Father,??I have sinned against heaven and before you,??^19??and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.??? ???

^20?????And he arose and came to his father. But??when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.??^21??And the son said to him, ???Father, I have sinned against heaven??and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.???

^22?????But the father said to his servants,??^[a]???Bring out the best robe and put??it??on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on??his??feet.??^23??And bring the fatted calf here and kill??it,??and let us eat and be merry;??^24??for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.??? And they began to be merry.