Have you ever been running late and not been able to find your keys? Or been at the store and can’t find your wallet? Or lost your phone and it's nowhere to be found? If so, then you’ve also experienced the frantic search that follows the realization that you lost something important.
In Luke 15, Jesus tells three parables about three people who each lost something… a shepherd who lost a sheep, a woman who lost a coin, and a father who lost a son. The magnitude of the loss gets progressively worse with each parable. The shepherd lost 1% of his sheep. The woman lost 10% of her money. The father lost half of his children.
All three were unwilling to accept the loss. The shepherd left the 99 sheep in search of the one. The woman lit a lamp and swept every inch of her house until she found the coin. The father waited, watched and welcomed his son’s return. All three rejoiced and called for a celebration when they finally found what was lost.
So what’s the point of these parables? All three had a deep desire to find what was lost!
We see it in the actions they take and in the reactions they have. They each represent the heart of God and the heart of heaven. God has a deep desire to find us when we’re lost. He sent His Son to find us and rejoices when we return to Him. In fact, Jesus said in summary, “There is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God.” (Luke 15:7)
So the challenge for us today is to ask ourselves, “Do we share God’s heart?” Are we living with a sense of urgency, like we lost something important? Are there specific people we long to see find Jesus? What do the actions we take and reactions we have reveal about our hearts?
Have you lost your heart for the lost? Ask God to help you find your heart for the lost today!
In Luke 15, Jesus tells three parables about three people who each lost something… a shepherd who lost a sheep, a woman who lost a coin, and a father who lost a son. The magnitude of the loss gets progressively worse with each parable. The shepherd lost 1% of his sheep. The woman lost 10% of her money. The father lost half of his children.
All three were unwilling to accept the loss. The shepherd left the 99 sheep in search of the one. The woman lit a lamp and swept every inch of her house until she found the coin. The father waited, watched and welcomed his son’s return. All three rejoiced and called for a celebration when they finally found what was lost.
So what’s the point of these parables? All three had a deep desire to find what was lost!
We see it in the actions they take and in the reactions they have. They each represent the heart of God and the heart of heaven. God has a deep desire to find us when we’re lost. He sent His Son to find us and rejoices when we return to Him. In fact, Jesus said in summary, “There is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God.” (Luke 15:7)
So the challenge for us today is to ask ourselves, “Do we share God’s heart?” Are we living with a sense of urgency, like we lost something important? Are there specific people we long to see find Jesus? What do the actions we take and reactions we have reveal about our hearts?
Have you lost your heart for the lost? Ask God to help you find your heart for the lost today!
Posted in devo