The Hunt for Lost Things (Luke 15:8-10)
By: Betsy St. Amant Haddox
Today’s Bible Verse: “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” - Luke 15:8-10 (ESV)
Several years ago, I went on my daily lunch break walk at a local park. It was a gorgeous autumn day. That particular afternoon I once again came across a woman I’d seen several times before, combing the ground with a metal detector. Intrigued, I decided to go speak to her and see what she hunted for so passionately.
“What’s your story?” I asked.
Her response? “I’m addicted to lost things.”
That resonated with me so deeply. Conviction was instant. What would change if I—if we—were addicted to helping the lost find Jesus?
Ouch.
On that deserted playground, with the clouds piling in and the rain beginning to sprinkle on my rapidly-frizzing hair, I stood and slurped a diet lemonade while this dedicated woman searched and periodically dug in the sandy ground. All the while, we talked about treasure and ownership and lost things.
“I’m always looking down when I’m out,” she confessed. And I couldn’t help but recognize that while she looks down expecting gifts, so many of us—including myself—are more prone to look down out of fear. She expects treasure, we expect rejection. She can’t make eye contact because she’s searching to find the lost.
We can’t because we’re afraid of being found.
I went to the park to get some fresh air, but I came away with a fresh perspective and a reminder of how Jesus passionately and diligently seeks the lost. He leaves the ninety-nine to find the one. Not only that, He invites us into the process by speaking the Gospel to those around us. It doesn’t require a metal detector to discover lost, hurting people everywhere we go. They’re right there—but often require getting our hands a little dirty to reach them. It often means putting aside our desires and our insecurities and our fears so that we see them.
There are days my friend in the park only finds discarded hairbands, trash, and soda can lids, and those days feel like a wasted trip. In the same way, our witnessing and ministry efforts often feel unrewarded. Like digging in deep sand searching for a particular grain—futile. Yet, there are the days where my park buddy discovers bigger treasures awaiting her discovery. Coins. Money. Jewelry. The payoff makes it worth it. Patience, diligence, and continued striving toward the end goal make it worth it.
And when we roll up sleeves and get busy seeking the lost, those days we see someone come to Christ will be far more rewarding and much more valuable than any gold locket or silver dollar.
Betsy St. Amant Haddox is the author of more than fifteen inspirational romance novels and novellas. She resides in north Louisiana with her hero of a hubby, two total-opposite young daughters, a vast collection of coffee mugs, and an impressive stash of Pickle chips. Betsy has a B.A. in Communications and a deep-rooted passion for seeing women restored in Christ. When she’s not sweating it out at Camp Gladiator or trying to prove unicorns are real, Betsy can usually be found somewhere in the vicinity of a white-chocolate mocha—no whip. Look for her latest novel with Revell, The Key To Love. Visit her at http://www.betsystamant.com.
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