Everyday Prayers for JoySample

Joy in Being Found

Each parable in Luke 15 talks about something valuable that was lost and how it was found. Jesus shared these parables because the Pharisees were bothered that He was being invited into the homes of those they considered to be sinners. Although they didn’t mind Jesus and His teachings, they did not like that He spent time with those who were considered outcasts or undesirables. Jesus answered the Pharisees by telling them about a lost sheep, a lost coin, and a lost son. As He told each parable, He shared how God views those who are lost and the lengths to which He will go to find them and bring them to safety.

In the parable of the lost sheep, we see the Lord leaving the ninety-nine sheep that are not lost and going to search for the one that has wandered away. When He finally finds this one lost sheep, He picks it up, lays it on His shoulders, and carries it home to safety. After He arrives home, He gathers everyone around Him and throws a party, celebrating that this one that was lost has been found.

This is the essence of God’s heart: each person who is lost has value and is made in His image. There are no outcasts in His eyes. All of the lost are loved ones to be pursued, found, and saved. In these verses, we see the joy that God and all the hosts of heaven feel when a lost one is found. No matter how bad things get in this world, it is not beyond hope because God is still in the business of seeking out those who are lost.

If we have been found and saved, we can have joy in our hearts, regardless of our circumstances, because we know we are saved and kept for all eternity by a loving Father who found us, placed us on His shoulders, carried us home, and gave us new life in Him.

Father, thank You for opening my eyes to the gospel and showing me my desperate need for a Savior. There is no greater miracle than that of a person whose heart is changed. I know You are the only one who can make that change in me. Thank You for rejoicing over me!