Luke 15:11-15
[11]And he said, A certain man had two sons:
[12]And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.
[13]And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.
[14]And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.
[15]And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
This is a popular biblical story most of us know very well as a Sunday school students I remembered in those years when ever our Sunday school teacher wants to teach about the problem a disobedient child faces out of his rebellious life style and out of selfish interest asked for his share of his father\’s inheritance unduly. At the end of the Bible lesson she would asked. Who can tell me the true life story of the prodigal son\’s adventurous behavior? That particular Sunday she asked Chinasa, a girl besides me she said \”he lived a wasteful life\” we used to call her [Aunty Maggi] very kind woman If you answer any of her questions correctly she will reward you with Biscuit and everybody will clap a resounding handclap for the person that answered right.
This was many years ago but today the whole senario came into my mind and I decided to give it another topic \”Wasted Opportunity\” . Why such topic at this present time I actually can\’t explain ordinarily than the lessons of a prodigal living is still the same irrespective of the event and time. Wasted Opportunity means time spent unwisely or good time that comes on your way and was rather spent uselessly. And one of such ways of lavishing such a good opportunity is by living an extravagant life or living a riotous life as our Bible reading declared in Luke 15:13 \”And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living\”.
The year 2020 has been a dramatic year full of ups and downs with varying degree of challenges yet people were able to overcome all the difficult times associated with the year. By God\’s mercies we were not consumed. During this very year there are terminologies or some English lexicon that are not commonly used that came up and became everyday usage. Words like COVID-19, Nose or Face Mask, Social Distancing, Constant washing of hands, hand sanitizer, Lockdown, private or public places closed down for people to work from homes, PPA, Stay safe, No Shaking of hands and many others
Do you know against any logical insinuation of people getting out of job, many people in their sharp instincts began to get into unprecedented innovation and were making money more than ever before Many colours and shapes of PPA, Face Masks, Online businesses , Zoom meetings, social media communication, a whole lots of unimaginable invention that have uttered the lives of the entire world are on the increase. All these are made possible by man stretching his reasoning faculty beyond the known in search of knowledge to solve human problems.
But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” (Daniel 12:4). So many people are getting an openings through what would have been a world acclaimed disaster and turn it into A NEW NORMAL and begin to Navigate their way through new knowledge of findings.
Do you know millionaires emerged over night just because people saw an opportunity and maximized it instead of waisting it and they are better for it. With the new trending certain things does not really matter now infact some certificates or degrees now may no longer be useful or obtainable what matters is what can you offer base on your capacity as in a new order.
The new order now is how to push against the tide or how to navigate through the storm. In the book of Isaiah 43:19
\”Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert\”. Making a way in the Wilderness and forming Rivers in the desert means difficult terren meaning turning around unpleasant situations for our good and benefit.
How ready are we to dig deep to drink from that Rock that\’s called ROCK OF AGES. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. \”For our present troubles are small and won\’t last for very long, yet they produce for us a glory that vastly out weighes them and will last forever (2Corinthains 4:17).
\”The grace of God will be so abundant that you may receive them in as great plenty as waters out of a fountain that is full\” (Isaiah 12:3).
The scripture says that the mind that\’s controlled by the spirit is life and peace. Paul said that he brought everything into captive in obedient to Christ. The word of God is light that lightens up our dark world. We must be sober minded and set our hope fully on the grace that is to be revealed to us by Christ Jesus. We must not be in a haste, he who is in a haste must not be innocent. The prodigal son acted hastily that was why he wasted the golden Opportunity he would have turned around for his benefits.
The youths of today most importantly are at the advantage of the New grace that abound because solution to the New Normal is in their creative ability and intellectual know-how. They are expected to avail themselves with the new innovation which mostly is I T BASE. \”Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him\”. (James 1:5)
Make it your business to recover the lost time and opportunity wasted instead of being busybody or getting involved in crime because the year 2020 is winding up. Yes! We may have faired badly due to miscalculation of event or wasted opportunity. Pray that God who makes a way in the Wilderness and makes rivers to flow in the desert shall provide another opportunity for us because my spirit mind is confident that the year 2021 will open a flood gate of diverse new opportunities which will only aid the prepared and those who are ready to maximize the opportunity that comes their way and not to waste it.
May you enjoy the peace and good tidings associated with the Birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Wishing you the Best Christmas Celebration 🙏 Thanks for Reading and Remain Blessed Amen.
✍️ BlessingOnugha ❤️