June 12 - It Was Fitting

Read: Luke 15:11-32

It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found. (Luke 15:32 ESV)

Have you ever lost something dear to you? What happened when you found it? Losing stuff is a big pet peeve of mine so when it does happen I am dearly invested in finding it. I get really excited when I find something I have lost.

Jesus was clear in his famous story about the prodigal son. The Father celebrates lost things. He loves to celebrate lost things. Furthermore, He refuses to allow anything, including self righteous religious people, to get in the way of His welcoming celebration.

Outside of God we are dead. Lostness, life not lived under the saving grace of Jesus, is death. Salvation restores us to God. The Father loves and longs to celebrate that. He even goes so far as to say that celebrating the return of a lost son or daughter is expected. It is fitting.

June 11 - Joy Before Angels

Read: Luke 15:8-10

Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents." (Luke 15:10 ESV)

Joy is an incredible thing. A fruit of the spirit, it is arguably not spoken about enough. Rejoicing is the sudden outburst of joy. It is a spontaneous party erupting out of the unforeseen awesome.

Jesus told his audience that heaven rejoices over the salvation of someone. Just imagine that. Your salvation was and is the the cause for rejoicing across eternity. Heaven will be a glorious gathering of saints as we come together to exalt God and declare the wonders of His goodness toward us.

Have you been the cause of joy before angels? If you're in. The family of God, if you have started a life loved under the saving blood of Jesus, then the answer is yes. Heaven rejoices for you.

June 10 - After the One

Read: Luke 15:1-7

"What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? (Luke 15:4 ESV)

On our farm when I was growing up it was very common for my dad to go looking for a cow if it was separated from the herd. He would throw all of his effort into finding the missing animal and bring it back to the group. Jesus' parable about lost sheep teaches that God reacts much the same way over lost people.

We are silly, selfish, and dumb by default. Left to our own devices we would choose our own destruction over and over again—without even realizing it. This is what it means to be lost. We are wanderers. We are separated from God by our sins of omission and commission.

How amazing that He would initiate the rescue. That he cared enough about us to come and save us. The point to be learned is that each of us have incredible value and worth. We are worth so much that God would redeem us by the sacrificial death of His only Son. He would graft us into family.

Let me ask, are you among the one? Have you been brought back into the fold? It only takes a moment to ask.