STRAY STAR

Luke 15:11-20
11 Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. 12 Theyounger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them. 13 Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. . . . 17 When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' 20 So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him."

The newspaper headline announced: "Young star pulled by wrong crowd may be destined to stray forever." The article wasn't about a promising Hollywood actor or pop musician whose personal life was disintegrating. This star was of the outer-space variety.

Known to astronomers as Tauri Sb, the relatively small star (20 percent of the mass of our sun) had been part of a four-star family. For 20 years, researchers have been watching its movements. They noticed that the small star was drawn toward a larger pair, coming close enough so that as it passed them, Tauri Sb doubled its speed and shot off away from its original solar family. It looks like Tauri Sb will end up wandering through space.

What happens in outer space is similar to what happens to people on our little planet. No doubt you've seen it happen. Like the young son in the parable Jesus told, a person pursues bad relationships and wanders far from home. That "home" may be a family, a church, or friends. It also usually means wandering away from God. And it's all too easy to find "friends" who will encourage the wanderer to keep going.

The big difference between Tauri Sb and the prodigal in Jesus' parable is that the star, if it ever turns back home, will be in an orbit far distant from its original relationship to its family. But the young son came back--and he came back to his father's open arms.

The same can be true for you and me if one day we come to our senses and realize that we have allowed ourselves to be pulled away from a close relationship with God. We don't have to wonder if the Lord wants us back--He does. We don't have to wait light-years to try to fix up our lives--He wants us back right away. (See Luke 15:17-24.)

Who's influencing us today? Where are our lives headed? Do we need to come home? --Kurt De Haan

DESTINATION POINTS

* Why do so many Hollywood stars mess up their lives? * How have I seen others get pulled away from family and friends because they were influenced by people who weren't good for them?
* Where am I in my relationship with Jesus today? Am I in another solar system, wandering through space, or in a close orbit?

bottom line: It's never too soon to come home to God.

soul journey