Prodigal: June 9, 2010

Today's Word for Wednesday June 9, 2010

PRODIGAL

DEFINITION

Lavish, wasteful, bountiful, a spend thrift.

SCRIPTURE

"And he arose and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him." Luke 15:20

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE

Chapter 15 of Luke contains information for us today to the extent that many say it is one of the most important chapters in the Bible. It includes three of the most famous parables told by Jesus while on this earth. Jesus was teaching His disciples and a crowd came around Him as He spoke. The crowd included some who believed in Him but the scripture says the crowd included Pharisees and scribes, tax collectors and sinners.

The scripture says they all drew near to Him so this indicates they were hungry for the message that He had for them and that they were acknowledging their great need. This chapter outlines for us the three parables that Jesus used in His speech to these people, the parables of the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin and the Lost Son.

The parable of the Lost Son, better known to us as the Prodigal Son, has many messages for us. There are five stages in the life of the prodigal son that we can learn from.

As the story begins we first see a wayward son. The scripture indicates that he was selfish, hard hearted, independent, stubborn and worldly. He was the son of his father by birth but did not belong to his father in heart, mind and spirit as God wants us to belong to Him. The son demanded from his father his inheritance by saying, "Give me the portion of goods that belongs to me." Even though he had not earned his portion or even deserved it, he demanded it, and was only thinking about himself and what he was wanting to do. He did not take into consideration how it would hurt his father's estate because that mattered very little to the son. The father gave his son his freedom and his possessions and the son was free to do what he wanted to do with his life and goods.

Secondly, we read that the son wasted his life in riotous living. He rebelled, revolted and journeyed into a far away country (verse 13). Finally he met the day when all began to go wrong. He had been living a worldly life, living for the pleasure of the moment. When his money was gone he was left with the fruits of his life of sin: poverty, bondage, enslavement, suffering, no friends, dissatisfaction, emptiness, destitution and hunger. He was alone, broken, humiliated, and facing starvation. You see when you get into the position that he was in without his father, he had no one to turn to who would help him.

In the third stage the young prodigal sees himself as he really is. He came to himself and snapped out of his insanity and remembered how good life was in the home of his father. He thought of his father and his enormous provision that he had given him. He evaluated what his life was like now. No man would help him. His life had been reduced to feeding swine. He knew that he needed to humble himself and repent and confess his sin and unworthiness to his father.

So fourthly, he responded to the conviction in his heart and took action. He got up and returned to his father. When the father came running to meet the son he repented and confessed his sin and unworthiness.

At the final stage we see a restored son, forgiven by a loving father. When the father saw his prodigal son returning, he ran out to met him and greet him with a loving embrace. The father had already forgiven him, even before the son had a chance to give his confession of sin. The father not only accepted the son's repentance and forgave him, but he restored him to his place in the family.

What a story (parable) for us to learn from. We are the prodigal son. We have turned and left God to live a life of sin. When we leave God, our father, we are like the prodigal son with no one to help us. Our Father is waiting for us to repent and return to the loving embrace of His arms and the forgiveness of our sins. He wants to restore us to our position in His family as one of His children. God wants us to always trust Him but if we fall away, He is big enough to accept us if we will return to Him. In verse 31 the father said to the son, "You are always with me, and all that I have is yours." That is what our heavenly Father says to each of us. That is the God we serve. He is an awesome God.

LEARNING

Our memory verse for this week is found in Romans 5:8.

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.

PRAYER

Thank You that You are my God and with me every day. Help me to keep on track to do the things and to live the life that honors and blesses Your name. Help me be the leader in my family so that they can see through my words and deeds what it means to serve You.