In 1973 Don Henley and Glenn Frey of the Eagles collaborated on a song by the name of Desperado. In case you don’t know, a desperado is, among other things, a desperate man. The opening lines of the song go something like this, “Desperado, why don’t you come to your senses…And freedom, oh, freedom well that’s just some people talking, your prison is walking through this world all alone.”
Sounds a lot like the younger son in Luke 15:17-20, doesn’t it? By this time in his life it’s quite safe to say that he’s desperate and that he has some major decisions to make, not the least of which is – What is he going to do with his hunger?
That’s a decision we all have to make when we are struggling and broken, isn’t it? And while the text mentions only a physical hunger, we know there has to be a relational and spiritual hunger in his life as well. It’s safe to say that he’s hungry and desperate on every level.
So what do we do with our pain and our hunger? What do you do with yours? As Henley and Frey continue their song, they write this, “Your pain and your hunger, they’re driving you home…” Sounds like the younger son, doesn’t it?
The answer to the question of, “What do I do in my desperation?” is, “You go home.” You go home to God, to your heavenly Father, to your loving Lord. (But you only will if you believe some things to be true of Him and if you are willing to believe some things to be true of yourself. We will talk more about those later in the week.)
As Desperado wraps up, Henley and Frey write this – “Desperado, why don’t you come to your senses, come down from your fences, open the gate…You better let somebody love you before it’s too late.”
If you have been living far away from God, or farther away than you would like, then today’s application is to let Him love you before it’s too late. No one who has made that decision has ever regretted it, and you won’t either.
Scott Smith
Care Pastor