My eyes flew open. Downstairs, my husband and his buddy must have heard my sudden vocalization.
I even misquoted scripture!
Luke 15: 1-10 says,
1. Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.
2. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.
3 And he spake this parable unto them, saying,
4 What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?
5 And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
6 And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.
7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.
8 Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it?
9 And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost.
10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
I know, you thought I was going to write about some sort of giant spider or cockroach. My apologies. What was the source of my sudden vocalization?
I found my favorite vegetable peeler.
Almost a year ago, I coughed up seven or eight bucks to get a "real" peeler. It was wonderfully sharp and worked like, well, a new peeler. My old peeler had gotten to the point that it only worked if I used it backwards or with my left hand.
A couple months into my new and exciting relationship with this black handled, ergonomic peeler, it vanished. I searched everywhere, but it was GONE.
During the fancy utensil's absence, other life circumstances left me with my very dominant right arm in a cast. By the time of the Super Bowl, I was out of the cast, but my fancy peeler was still gone. Like the woman in Luke 15, I still had my nine other pennies. After 4-5 months of being left handed, I still could use my old peeler. It took me a little longer, but the Super Bowl preparations were fairly successful.
When I found my peeler, I ran downstairs to where my husband and his buddy were playing pool. I blurted, "I feel like the widow who found her penny!"
Stumbling over my words, I hemmed and hawed that I didn't feel like he was dead, but that I was as excited as that woman. His buddy may have had no clue, but my hubby understood the scriptural basis, if not the reason, for my joy.
Upstairs, my son politely noted my excitement. (He's pretty used to me.)
Still throbbing with elation, I HAD to CALL SOMEONE. I dialed my Super Bowl girlfriend, another Bible believer, and blathered of my delight. Finally, my need to rejoice ebbed somewhat. It remained as a pleasant hum for several days.
Only today, did the last part of Luke 15:1-10 hit home.
10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
If I could get so outrageously and disproportionately giddy about finding my seven dollar peeler, how much more joy would come from the thousands and thousands of angels rejoicing before God over one sinner that repents?
That's a whole lotta joy.
Three+ decades ago, a weeping, snot-dripping and humbled teenager asked for salvation. She finally realized she couldn't earn her way into heaven (and oh, how she had tried). But if God still liked her enough to give her a new start, she really wanted to serve him. She didn't know it, but that day, the heavens were rocking with joy. They rocked with every person who ever turned to Christ as Savior. They will continue to do so with every person who ever does.
II Corinthians 5:11a says, "Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men...." Out of understanding of God's holiness, Christians are rightly motivated to persuade others of the need for salvation. We love you and want you to have an amazing relationship with Father God and to be with us in eternity.
Many Christians are also motivated not just by fear but by joy. Imagine adding to the joy in heaven by leading another precious soul into God's kingdom! In the realm of spiritual physics, joy MUST be expressed. For every salvation, there must be a mind-blowing expression of joy. Maybe that's why the angels are rejoicing, because our human frames just aren't built to handle the unfathomable joy.
If I could barely contain my thrill of finding "the piece which I had lost," imagine the thrill of helping someone find the PEACE which s/he had lost.
There's a much beloved verse in Nehemiah 8. The people have heard the law and are broken and weeping at their sin. Nehemiah speaks these wonderful words:
Ne 8:10 Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.
May we all find the piece and the peace for which we are searching.
No comments:
Post a Comment