A God Who Searches

“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it?

Luke 15:8 

Jesus told a short story to a group of grumbling religious leaders to illustrate a poignant point—God will intensely search for those who need His love and salvation. He used a desperate woman, of all things, for his story. She’d lost a coin worth a day’s wage. She had only ten and one was lost. She lit a small oil lamp, the only source of light in her small windowless home, and searched carefully until she found it. She then invited her women friends and neighbors to rejoice with her. Jesus adds in verse 10, “I tell you, in the same way, there is joy in the presence of God over one sinner who repents.”

 What kind of God is this who not only searches until we’re found and but also throws a party in heaven over our repentant and yielded life! Finding just one lost coin or one lost person is worth one big party!  

God-searching-for-us becomes even more impressive when I read what Peter wrote about the prophets of old. They searched “intently and with the greatest care” for God and the salvation that would come through the Messiah.

Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things (1 Peter 1:10-12). (Emphasis mine)

The prophets searched intently and with the greatest care for information concerning God’s plan of salvation. Today, God searches carefully for us until we are found—then throws a party! Have you been found? He’s searching for you. Check out how to respond to Him at encouraging.com under the drop-down list. Click on “The Most Important Thing.” Angels are waiting to party!

Linda Les-