God's Lost and Found

Does your school have a "Lost and Found?" I'm sure does. Kids are always losing things. Early in the school year, there probably isn't very much in it, but it won't be very long until the "Lost and Found" is running over like this box. Let's see what we can find in our "Lost and Found" box.

Look! Here is a shoe. How in the world can a person lose one shoe? Wouldn't you think they would notice that they were only wearing one shoe?

Here's a pair of glasses. Now, how can a person who wears glasses do their homework without their glasses? Well, I guess that's a better excuse than telling your teacher the dog ate your homework. Teachers never believe that one.

Hmm...here's a lunch box. I was always losing my lunch box when I was in school. That is why my mom started making me take my lunch in a brown paper bag.

Here's a nice pair of wool mittens. Maybe the person who lost these isn't too worried about them right now, but when cold weather gets here, they will sure wish they knew where they were.

Have you ever lost something that was really important to you? What did you do? Did you just say, "Oh well, no problem, I can always get another one?" No, I imagine that you probably searched until you found what you had lost. In our Bible lesson today, Jesus tells two stories about people who have lost something very important to them.

The first story Jesus told was about a man who had a hundred sheep. One of his sheep strayed away from the flock and became lost. Every one of the man's sheep was important to him, so he left the ninety-nine and went to search for the one lost sheep. When he found it, he was so happy that he called all of his friends together and said, "Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep."

Next, Jesus told a story about a woman who had ten silver coins. Each of the coins was worth a day's wages. The woman counted her coins, "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine. Oh no! I have lost one of my coins," she cried. Do you know what she did? She turned on every light in the house, swept the floor, and searched until she found the one lost coin. When she found the lost coin, she called all of her friends and neighbors together and said, "Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin."

Jesus told these two stories to demonstrate God's love for us. We are God's children, but sometimes we get lost. When that happens, God doesn't give up on us. He searches for us and he won't stop until we are found. In fact, the Bible tells us that God sent his son, Jesus, to seek and save the lost. And just as the people in the story rejoiced when they found what was lost, Jesus said, "There is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

I'm glad that God loves us so much that he doesn't give up on us when we get lost, aren't you?

Father, we are your children and you love each and every one of us. We are thankful that you don't give up on us when we get lost. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.