Today's Bible Reading: MATTHEW 20:1-34; MARK 10:32-52; LUKE 18:31-19:27
Luke 19:10
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
We live in a lost world. A world alienated from the Almighty. It is a Lost World. A World filled with people who are captivated by culture, and content to be castaways. They are unwilling to recognize their depraved condition. They are simply lost. The tragedy is that they have no desire to be found. They need rescue, yet they rebelliously remain lost. They see no need for salvation and have no urgency to be emancipated.
Yet they are sought after and searched for. A Savior seeks them. He seeks them to find them, to rescue them and to save them. That is why He came. It is His mission and His profound purpose. He seeks those who have no inclination or interest in seeking Him. He came to save those who stubbornly reject him. To these He came, to find them, to lodge with them, to love them, to live for them and to die for them. He manifests mercy. He gives grace. The gospel story is not man seeking God, but God seeking man. It is a seeking Savior for separated sinners. He came not to reform them, but to redeem them. He came not to rehabilitate them, but to regenerate them. He came to seek and secure the salvation of sinners.
This is great news for those who have family and friends that are lost. They may not seek the Savior, but the Savior is seeking them. He is seeking sinners. We may not see how He seeks them, but we are assured He is. Like a lost sheep He seeks them. Like a lost coin, He searches for them. He plants people of faith in their path. He uses His followers to sow seeds of the gospel upon their stony soil. He communicates daily through His Creation. He pricks their conscience with tidbits of truth. They may not be seeking Him, but they are sought by him. He knows them. He loves them. He cares for them. He seeks after them. They may be disinterested in Him, but he is keenly interested in them. They may avoid us, but they can’t avoid Him. A seeking Savior is seeking them.
This is the fuel that ignites our intercession. It is our solid hope. It should lead us to praise Him that He sought us and saved us. It should drive us to persistently petition Him to seek and save your lost family and friends, ever pleading with Him for their rescue. It should lead us to pray for their redemption and put our hope in Him that they will be found. It is our sure hope that the rebellious will be redeemed and that the sinner will be saved. So, all is not lost for our lost ones, knowing that our rescuer has them on his radar. The Savior is seeking them. He can save them.
Today rejoice in the work of the Redeemer, the Savior who sought you and saved you. Thank Him that His purpose and plan has not changed or altered. He is still seeking and saving the lost. Take heart this week as you continue to pray for your lost friends and family. Pray by name for them that they will be found by the seeking Savior. Don’t let delays in their being saved squelch your supplication. Intentionally intercede on their behalf. The Savior is seeking. Call on Him daily to continue His quest to seek and to save your lost friend, that’s why He came.
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