Jesus told a parable of a woman who had 10 silver coins and lost one of them. She lit the lamp, grabbed her broom and swept her entire house. She was diligent in her search of every nook and cranny to find the coin. Then, there it was! The coin was lost and was found. She called her friends. “Rejoice with me for I have found the coin that I had lost.”
Did you notice she did not call her friends to help her search for the lost coin? She searched and found. Then she called her friends to celebrate with her.
The spiritual application is simple yet profound. The woman represents God who actively seeks out those who are lost. “ Ezekiel 34:10 says of God, “I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed…”
The coin represents a lost person who may not even realize he is lost until he hears the gospel. “For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him shall never perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
The search is intentional. As the woman was intentional about searching for her lost coin, God is more so. Luke 19:10 says of Jesus, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” The purpose of Jesus coming to earth was intentional to actively pursue and find people who are spiritually lost and bring them to salvation.
The celebration. The woman found the coin and called her friends to celebrate. Jesus finished the story by saying, “In the same way there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” This reflects God’s personal love and the immeasurable value of every individual soul.
I had a similar experience last Friday, except I found something that was not lost. My story began when on the day before my grandson’s wedding, I still had not found anything special to wear to his wedding. I had a late afternoon chiropractor appointment and while waiting, I chatted with the receptionist. We talked about the wedding the next day, and that I had nothing special to wear.
“I had started out at Maurice’s,” I said. “I searched diligently but did not find what I was looking for. Next, I went to Kohl’s. I did not find the right attire, but I did find a perfect necklace.” The receptionist looked very serious when she said, “You will find exactly what you are looking for at Macy’s.” “Macy’s?” I raised my eyebrows. She nodded.
After my appointment, I headed for Roseville. I prayed on the way, “Lord, I know this is trivial compared to world events, but would you lead me to find the right top.” I parked in front of Penney’s. Nothing. As I was about to pull out of the parking lot, I saw Macy’s. I went in and was immediately greeted by a lovely sales lady. “May I help you find what you are looking for?” she asked. “I hope so.”
I glanced at my watch. Not long till closing time. We passed several racks, then she stopped and pulled out a beautiful dressy blouse. “O my!” I exclaimed. “That is exactly the style and color I was looking for, and it is my size!” We both gave a high five grinning from ear to ear! I envisioned the necklace I had purchased earlier. Perfect. I smiled all the way home. 1 Peter 5:7 came to mind, “Cast all your anxieties on him because He cares for you.” God cares about what we care about. Even finding a top and a necklace for my grandson’s wedding! And He delights when even one person turns to Him in faith.