A Heavenly Celebration
OPENING PRAYER:
God, thank you for your great love for me. Thank you for providing a way for the lost to be reconciled to you, through Jesus. Help me rejoice when heaven rejoices. Amen
“6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” (Luke 15:6-7 NIV)
“10 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)
REFLECT:
The Bible tells us over and over of God’s great love for us. From the beauty of the Psalms (Psalms 36:7, 86:5, 136:26) to the good news of the Gospel (John 3:16, Romans 5:8) we see God’s love in scripture. Scripture also tells us that God desires for us to turn to him (Ezekiel 18:23, 1 Timothy 2:4, 2 Peter 3:9), and so it is no surprise that each of Jesus’ parables in Luke end in celebration. Every human soul is immensely valuable (Psalms 139:14), and when one of the lost is found, there are few better causes for celebration in Christ’s church.
APPLY:
Consider what you tend to celebrate – good news, events, holidays, the clearly deserved victory of your favorite sports team. Then, consider how you respond when decisions are made for Christ, or people take the step of baptism, do you celebrate? Regardless of your answer, when the next opportunity arises, make a point to purposefully join in the celebration when the lost are found.
CLOSING PRAYER:
God, I pray that you show me opportunities to celebrate what you're doing around me and that I can celebrate the good things that you always do.