Loved But Lost
“By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins”
(1 John 4:9-10).
One of the wonderful things about God is that through Scripture, He reveals what matters to Him. In the parables of the lost coin, the lost sheep and the “lost” prodigal son, Jesus discloses the heart of God. Those who have missed the saving truth of God as well as believers who have wandered away from His ways learn that they matter greatly to Him.
Just as the woman scoured her room to find a coin, the Lord pursues us so that we might accept His gift of faith. Like the shepherd who left those ninety-nine sheep in safety to find the one who had wandered away, our Shepherd cares about us.
His priority is not only to bring us into relationship with Himself but also to keep us close to Him. What’s more, His concern is the same whether we are roaming for the first or the hundredth time. And just as the prodigal’s father welcomed and forgave his son, our heavenly Father promises the same to us. Because of the saving work of Jesus Christ, God’s love “keeps no record of wrongs” (1 Corinthians 13:5). The prodigal’s father threw a party; Scripture tells us heaven also rejoices when one who was lost has been found. (Luke 15:6, 9-10, 24)
Our loving Father desires each person in His creation be “found.” Since He knows we all start life in a “lost” spiritual condition (Romans 3:10-11), He offers each of us a place in His family through Jesus’ redemptive work. He’s entrusted believers with spreading the message of hope. Does your heart beat as God’s does for the lost? If not, pray for a heart change.
Related Links:
Ideas to Spark a Heart Change in Others:
http://www.retirementwithapurpose.com/witness
About the Author
This article was written by Charles Stanley. You can read more about this author by clicking this link:
http://www.talk.thelife.com/charles-stanley/
This devotional is protected by copyright laws and may not be reprinted or posted to a site without permission from TruthMedia Internet Group. All readers are welcome to forward the devotional to a friend or link to it. If you would like to seek permission to reprint the devotional in full, please contact us:
http://www.truthmedia.com/contact/index.html
