May 30 Lost but Found Part 2

Luke 15:8-10 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” 
 
ON the day I write this, we have just celebrated our grandson’s high school graduation. Today we rejoice in his accomplishment, and we are joyful for the man our Lord is forming him to become.
              What was necessary for Jes to graduate? What has happened for Jes to confess Jesus as his Savior? The answer is that Jes, his parents, his friends, his extended family, his church and, most of all, the Lord God have had to deliberately move toward this day. Many steps have been taken to help Jes learn in school and of God. Jes has been taught, corrected, encouraged, praised and urged on to seek more knowledge. In turn, he has responded, sometimes resisting, many times accepting. There would be no rejoicing today to celebrate the treasure of his education and salvation if this deliberate process had not occurred.
              In a like manner, how was it possible for the widow to discover the lost coin? Did she sit around mourning and wailing? Did she blame others for the loss and demand someone give her a new coin? No, instead she had to take specific steps to restore the coin to her possession. She swept the house and carefully searched. Deliberately, she moved to recover the coin, a very precious possession to a widow who often had very little.
              Then see the joyful discovery! She didn’t say, “I’m glad I found it.” She rejoiced! She called her friends to celebrate. The coin could be her food for a month or so. It could be a way to help someone else. The coin was irreplaceable. What joy we experience when we receive God’s precious provisions.
              Again, the three “lost but found” parables in Luke 15 demonstrate your value to God and the joy he experiences at your precious salvation. When “you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,” (Romans 10:9) you should surely rejoice. Call your friends to tell them, “The Spirit of God has acted to deliberately “find me”! Hear your Father in heaven joyfully celebrate, “I have found my lost child.”
              Revel each day that you have “graduated” from sin into Jesus’ salvation. Thank God for those people who have been deliberate to help you along your journey, even when you resisted. Alive in God’s knowledge, rich in his salvation, rejoice the Lord has “found” your precious soul.
 
Prayer: Thank you, Father, Son and Spirit for the way you have taught me of you. Thank you for the many people you have put into life to teach me. I am in awe that you came to seek and to find me. Amen.