Luke 15:8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin.’10 In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.”
There is a show I am kind of hooked on and it is called Expedition Unknown. Josh Gates has made a good living out of finding almost nothing. Or it seems like he never finds the treasure they are looking for and I just believe the next week it will happen so I tune in. Sometimes he is on the verge of finding it and they quit because of darkness or because the time limit for the episode has run out. But they don't find it!!! It drives me nuts, but I keep on watching it waiting for the day he actually finds the treasure, and boy what a day that will be.
If I start looking for something I am gonna find it and will worry about it until it is found, especially if it has value to me. The woman in the above verses lost one coin out of ten and she is on the floor trying to find the one coin. When she finds it there is a celebration. This is a perfect way to look at how much God wants us to be saved and how he doesn't want to lose one and will continue to reach out to the lost. But remember, we have a place in this reaching. Let's just say that God wants to use me to draw someone to a saving faith in Jesus. God positions me with intent for either sharing the message verbally or through my lifestyle to reach this person. God will do whatever it takes to reach that person because He gave His son on the cross to make a way for that salvation. This a very clear explanation of "Take up your cross and follow me" as said by Jesus in Luke 9:23. There is a purpose for taking up your cross and it is to reach those that God values so much. The lost or unsaved.
Our desire to reach the lost comes from a heavenly Father who has one intent when it comes to His salvation. It is for whoever and He uses us to complete that mission of finding and reaching the lost. If you find God using a situation in your life to reach someone who doesn't know Jesus, count yourself as being on an Expedition Known!! God not only allows us to show that person the way to the treasure, but allows them to find it and we rejoice with them in their discovery. If you ever get the opportunity to lead someone to Christ, you will know a wonderful experience of joy that spurs you on to reach more for Jesus and you will over time get the Mind of Christ in your attitude about the lost.
Remember, your life has much purpose in God's plan and He has probably already positioned you in His plan for reaching those people you influence every day. Take up your cross and follow Him as He takes you to a new plane in spiritual growth. Evangelism!! You know where the treasure is and now you just need to lead the lost by God's Map, the Bible.
The Pilgrimage continues.....
David Warren
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