This is the rhyme that is used to motivate those who are playing "limbo" - a game in which one tries to walk or roller skate under a bar without falling down. In this game, the winner is the participant who passes under the bar at the lowest setting without hitting the bar or falling down.

However, it seems that this rhyme can also be used by Satan as he is enticing us to sin. Progression in sin brings one down a slippery slope into ruin and despair. The depth into which sin can take one is seen in the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15). In this parable, an ungrateful son asked his father for his portion of the inheritance, departed from his father's house to a far country, and there proceeded to "enjoy" life. However, it was in this far country that he learned some hard lessons about sin.

1. Sin is a waste. Jesus said that this rebellious son "wasted his possessions with prodigal living" (v. 13). All the things that we have in this life are a gift from God, and we should use them in a manner which glorifies God. Any other use of these blessings is a waste.

To the suffering Christians who were tempted to return to their old way of life, Peter warned, "For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles - when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries" (1 Peter 4:3). In short, Peter was saying that they have already wasted enough of their lives pursuing sin. The time that they had left was to be spent in faithful service unto God, even if it meant suffering for doing what was right.

2. Sin Causes Us To Be In Want. It is no surprise that this young man soon spent everything that he had and found himself in want (v. 14). "Prodigal" living causes one to go through his money very quickly. Solomon warned, "He who loves pleasure will be a poor man; he who loves wine and oil will not be rich" (Prov. 21:17).

However, those who are in sin are in want of more important things than money. They are in desperate need of the cleansing of their soul and conscience. They need repentance and reconciliation so that they can be at peace with God and with themselves. No one is more destitute than he who has plunged himself into sin.

3. Sin Causes Us To Be Enslaved To A Heartless Master. In order to survive, this young man joined himself to a citizen of that country (v. 15). In his haste to get away from his father's house, he went from being a son to a servant. He was performing the lowly task assigned to him by his master, but although he was starving, "no one gave him anything" (v. 16).

All those who remain in sin are enslaved to a heartless taskmaster who will lead them to a spiritual death. "Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?" (Rom. 6:16).

Jesus tells us that this was as low as the prodigal was willing to go. After thinking about the kindness that his father showed to his servants, this son realized that he did not have things so bad in his father's house. He "came to himself" (v. 17) and decided to return to his father.

The father did not leave the son. It was the son who had left the father, and he found his father where he had left him. The first thing that the son did when he returned to his father was to confess his sin (v. 21). After hearing this confession, the father received him back into his house as a son and celebrated his return (vs. 22-24).

How low are you willing to go before you come to yourself and return to your Heavenly Father? You will find Him where you left Him, waiting for you to return. If you will confess your sin, He is faithful and just to forgive your sin, to cleanse you from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9), and to receive you back into fellowship as His child.