City Life Starter

Written by Efe Abbe

The Word

⁸ “Or what woman, having ten silver coins,^{[Greek: ten drachmas, i.e. ten day’s wages]} if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? ⁹ And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ ¹⁰ Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
–^{Luke 15:8-10 ESV}

Reflection

Since after Adam and Eve rebelled against God (Genesis 3), He set into motion His pre-determined purpose in history to save lost humanity. God choosing to save us is deeply personal (as I write this, I realize this is a massive understatement, but how does one describe the indescribable?). The apex of God’s saving plan is Jesus, His Son, whom He sent to search for lost sinners.

Jesus was doing exactly what God the Father willed Him to do by drawing sinners and tax collectors to Himself, but the religious elite, blinded and hardened by their arrogant self-righteousness, simply didn’t get it. So Jesus, told them parables of a wandering sheep, a lost coin, and a prodigal son to reveal who God has always been: The Seeker of Lost Souls.

And when Almighty God has found a sinner who returns to Him, He rejoices, unabashedly with a radiant joy from His throne for the angels to bask in. This is the God, who sent His only Son to find us and take away our sins – the One whose joy fills the Heavens when we come home.

Application

If you have repented and trusted Jesus, do you believe that the God that Jesus revealed, rejoiced and still rejoices over you? Stake everything on Him, because He is trustworthy and He is glad that you belong to Him. If you are yet to trust Jesus, please know that He has come searching just for you. Please don’t wait to repent, God is waiting to rejoice over your coming home.

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your joy in my repentance because of Your indescribable love for me in Jesus. Thank You for giving Him as the Way for me to come home to You, amen.