Lost and Found

One family vacation when my children were little, we stayed at a motel out of state. In our hurry to load up and continue our trip we had forgotten one important item. We had left our daughter’s blankie in the room. My wife and I tried to console her but to no avail. I called the motel and they had it in the lost and found. After paying the shipping cost we received the lost blankie and all was right in the world.

In Luke 15 we read about 3 stories of lost and found. A shepherd had 100 sheep and one was lost. He left the 99 safe in the fold and went out and searched diligently until he found his lost sheep. He brought it home on his shoulders and called his friends over to rejoice with him. The second story is about a woman who had 10 silver coins and lost one of them. She lit a lamp and swept the whole house until she found her lost coin. Then she called her friends and neighbors over to celebrate with her. The last story is about a lost son. He walked away from home and spent his inheritance in wild living. The father waited for him until one day he returned home. The father put on a feast and celebrated the return of his prodigal son.

Jesus relates these three parables to let us know how eager our God is to recover lost sinners. Just as the shepherd searches for his sheep, and the woman searches for her coin, and the father looks for his son, so God searches for us. When He finds us all of heaven rejoices.

Are you lost? There is someone looking for you. A loving Heavenly Father is searching for you. He loves you dearly and wants to bring you home into His warm embrace and the joy of His eternal home.The prodigal’s father said: “It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found” (Luke 15:32).