Prodigal Son or Prodigal Father

The other morning I was reading through Luke 15:11-32 - the story of the lost son.  Growing up this story always referred to the prodigal son.  Several years ago I happened to look up the word prodigal and was actually quite surprised by the definition I found:

adj.

1. Rashly or wastefully extravagant: prodigal expenditures on unneeded weaponry; a prodigal life.

2. Giving or given in abundance; lavish or profuse: prodigal praise. See Synonyms at profuse.

n.

One who is given to wasteful luxury or extravagance.

The first definition makes sense when applied to the son, but what caught my attention was the second definition, which in this case could easily be applied to the Father.  For the Father's response to the son, after he had squandered his inheritance, was lavish and profuse.  He gave the son the best robe, placed the family crest ring on his finger, re-established his status as his heir, and threw an extravagant party to celebrate his return.  This is the type of Father we all have in Heaven.  He gives abundantly, lavishing His gifts and blessings on all of us, even though we clearly don't deserve any of it, and have probably wasted much that He has given us in the past. 


What an awesome Father we have in our Life!  I know whatever I have done, He will be there waiting for me, desiring to lavish His blessings on me!  As Paul writes in Galatians  4:6, "Because you are his sons (daughters), God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out,“Abba, Father'.  He desires that each of us know Him as our Father, and is waiting for us to return to Him.