LOST BUT NOT FOUND

PSALMIST CHALLENGE: PSALM 131-135

PROVERBS CAPSULE: PROVERBS 27

The greatest disaster in life is when one is looking for a lost item and never known he is the one missing. Did you ever experience a situation whereby your classmate when you were in either elementary or secondary school sudden begun to shout, “Lost and found, careless owner while raising an item maybe a pen or pencil”? You are not far from the kingdom. Jesus also encountered the same during His earthly ministry, there were four categories of items lost in His parables but only three were found because the last item never know he was lost. The four items were the lost sheep (Luke 15:4), the lost coin (Luke 15:8), the prodigal son (Luke 15:13) and the lost brother (Luke 15:28). Each of us have lost something in the past, some were found, others were not; but the greatest tragedy of them all was when we have lost something long ago unknown to us, only to discover it has been lost.

When we read Luke 15, many people believe it is all about the story of the prodigal son but actually it was that of a lost brother. You will discover in Luke 15:5 that the lost sheep was found by the owner, he went home rejoicing. The women who lost her silver coin lighted a candle, clean the house; found her coin and called for a party - Luke 15:9. The prodigal son after he had collected his inheritance, travelled to a far country, wasted his resources, ate with the swine and later came to his senses, recovered himself by returning home, his father saw him from afar and embrace him for a big celebration too. But here was a man who never missed but lost forever, it was the prodigal son elder brother. The Bible says, “…he was angry, and would not go in to the party.” He was at home but living far away from his house, he would never go in to celebrate with his lost brother, he was total lost.

A man may be lost unknown to him; you may be far from the Kingdom unknown to you. Here are the specifications, the descriptions of a man or woman who is lost: when you are not interested in things of others, when you are only looking for your own interest, when you are not happy about other people’s salvation, when you love the world and the things therein, when you take delight in sins, when you are angry at others with no cause, when you are unhappy about life, when you do not know what you want and when you misplace your priority, when you do not know where you are going and when you do not know what to do. What was the problem of the elder brother? Why can’t he go inside to celebrate his lost brother? He was unhappy his junior brother returned, he had the mind of taking over the whole inheritance. How can a Christian be happy about the downfall of others? If you are in such situation, you are lost unknown to you. If you gather for your own good alone, you are lost.

Will you yield to God in repentance this day and ask for forgiveness where necessary? Apostle Peter warned those who think they stand to take heed, lest they fall. Will you check yourself in the mirror of God’s word and see where and when you are lost so as to retrace your steps back home. Will you light your candle to find your lost silver? And may you also have the courage to go out there and look for the lost sheep of God. There is no point fighting with your brother or sister in the Lord, what or who you need to wage war against is the Devil who is ready to tear you or the works of the Kingdom apart. Be wise today and may you be found in Jesus name (Amen).

Word Affirmation: “But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice - Psalms 68:3 (Don't just say it, mean it!)

“ The greatest disaster in life is when one is looking for a lost item and never known he is the one missing. "

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