Welcome to this opportunity to intentionally connect with God! We know God is always with us, always ready for meaningful interaction with us. There is nothing He desires more than for us to be in relationship with Him. This takes time and intentionality. I recommend you start this time of reading and reflecting on God's word with a time of prayer. A simple yet powerful tool during prayer is the acronym "ACTS" - Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication. Take some time, using this acronym or some other method, to come close to God. God comes to you in all His realness; do your best to be real with Him. Luke 15:8-10
The Parable of the Lost Coin
8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins[a] and loses one. Doesn’t she 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.”
There are three parables in Luke 15: The Parable of the Lost Sheep, The Parable of the Lost Coin, and The Parable of the Lost Son. This past Sunday, Jordan's message was centered on The Parable of the Lost Son, also known as The Parable of the Prodigal Son. Today's scripture for meditation is the Parable of the Lost Coin.
I used to think of these parables having to do primarily with people who were "lost" or far from God. But after listening to Sunday's message about both the younger brother and the older brother, and after reading this short parable of the Lost Coin, I am starting to look at these parables in a different light. The last verse reads, "In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." I'm pretty certain Bible scholars consider the word "sinner" here to be a reference to a person who does not call upon God and who does not acknowledge Jesus as his Lord and Savior, i.e. someone who is lost.
But, am I not a sinner who needs to repent? Are there not times in my life, areas of my human existence, and situations in which I am totally lost? Even though I was "lost, but now I'm found", isn't there a daily draw (spiritual warfare) toward "lostness"? I think there is. Verse 10 literally refers to "one sinner who repents". I think God might be saying to me that the angels in heaven rejoice as much when I truly repent of my sins and as they do when someone far from God confesses Jesus as Lord.
I could be off on this, but it makes sense to me. God abhors evil and He loves the truth. We all need to come clean with God. As you live this Tuesday, think about the areas in which you need repentance. When one sinner repents, all of heaven rejoices!
Mark