Searching

Day-glo orange signs flag the corner of every street in the neighborhood our church sits in. At first, I really didn't pay any attention to them, thinking that they must have been left over from a weekend yard sale.

But as I pulled to a stop opposite one, the wind blew the corner, that had been sagging from the rain, back straight and I saw the words in bold black - LOST!

The poster went on to describe a tabby colored cat, a family treasure, wholly and dearly loved, and to give information of who to contact should anyone see or find her. I pulled away wondering just how hard people searched for lost things.

But I guess that depends on how much you value what is lost. From the signs, I'm betting that kitty is being looked for every chance they get.

It just so happened that my weekly trip through the gospels found me in the 15th chapter of Luke today, and the dots started to connect. For that chapter is full of lost things - a lost sheep, a lost coin, and a lost son.

So how hard would they search?

Luke 15:4 (Msg)
"Suppose one of you had a hundred sheep and lost one. Wouldn't you leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the lost one until you found it?

So one lost one was worth risking everything else to find.

So how would someone react to a lost coin?

Luke 15:8 (Msg)
"Or imagine a woman who has ten coins and loses one. Won't she light a lamp and scour the house, looking in every nook and cranny until she finds it?

And a lost coin meant turning everything upside down, searching as hard as you can as long as it takes.

And to a lost son? As the son, who has realized how lost he is returns home...

Luke 15:20 (Msg)
"When he was still a long way off, his father saw him. His heart pounding, he ran out, embraced him, and kissed him.

A lost son's return means more than risking everything, or working as hard as you can to find what was lost. It meant dropping pride, judgement and his own right to justice in favor of racing to meet someone who was lost.

And that's exactly what God did. For you.

You see folks - you matter to God so much, He'll work in countless ways to find you - wherever you are.

Oh and when you are in His arms...

His search, and yours - are over forever. For He has what gives Him joy, and you have everything He is.

It's called...

Grace!

David

This devotional is written by David Wilson, pastor of New Hope Baptist church in Valparaiso, FL. If you find you have received this via a forward and would like to receive it regularly, or find you no longer wish to receive it, drop me an email at dwilsonfl@earthlink.net and I'll make the change to the list. If you'd like to know more about New Hope, visit our website at www.newhopevalp.org . May God bless you.