The
other day while doing chores around the house I discovered the gold ring I had
been wearing was missing. The ring has family significance and I looked in all
the obvious places, while being thankful I had not gone out of the house
other than to go to the mail box. As the day wore on, the more obsessed I
became and I retraced my steps with greater determination.
I
felt a kindred spirit to the woman in the parable of the lost coin; however, I
think Jesus understated her search. I’m certain the woman did much more than
light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully for the coin. I made multiple
dumpster diving trips through both large and small trash cans; inspected the
garbage disposal; crawled on hands and knees with a flashlight looking under
furniture; swept a path through the leaves to the mailbox — and begged the Spirit for keen eyesight and
wisdom.
The
next day as I sorted out the curlers I used for giving my mother-in-law a hair
permanent I found the ring in the thrice searched bowl of curlers. And yes, I
called others to rejoice with me!
The
point of the parable is finding the lost, but I’d never considered the Lord
dumpster diving in order to find some of us. Jesus said, “In the same way, I
tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one
sinner who repents” (Luke 15:10 NIV).
1 comment:
Gail;
-----Lucifer goofed. Whether he did it intentionally or not, whether Jesus created him to goof or not, he goofed. That made a mess in God’s clean, pristine heaven. We know our Father well enough to understand that He won’t have any messes at His place. So the mess had to be cleaned up. And to clean up a mess, you need a place to discard the unclean. That would be the lake of fire.
-----There’s a couple interesting things the Bible says about this physical existence. It says it will ware out and be changed like an old garment and pass away (Ps 102:26.) Revelation says it will flee from the face of Him who sits upon the Great White Throne (Rev 20:11.) Peter says it is stored up for fire on the Day of Judgment whereupon it will pass away, all its elements melting in fervent heat, such that the earth with all its works will be burned up (II Peter 3:7,10.) Four times the Bible says all of the stars will fall from heaven (Isa 34:4, Mat 24:29, Mk 13:25, Rev 6:12-13.) That will make a pretty big lake of fire melting away all the elements fleeing from the face of God into perpetual collapse (the ultimate black hole.)
-----Seeing this folding up as just the opposite of the heavens’ having been stretched out (Isa 45:12,) I often contemplate this physical existence as being the trash can God created in which to throw away Satan and his mess. Now, I might very well be wrong about that, but if I’m not, then Jesus really did go dumpster diving to retrieve all His from the trash can.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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