Where is your heart at today? Is it missing something like being at the lost & found? Furthermore, where are you at today when it comes to living this life? Lost or found? Have you found it, and have it? Lost and need it? Have you invited Jesus into your heart and moving forward having what you need even in the challenges? Do you know what you are looking for so that when you find it you will know? Wandering around like you are lost and not even sure what you are looking for?
Lost & Found Sheep:
This passage describes the parable of the lost sheep, where Jesus explains how a shepherd would leave his flock of 99 sheep to search for the one that went astray. When he finds it, he rejoices and calls his friends and neighbors to celebrate with him. Let’s live our lives with the joy Jesus has given us when he went as the good shepherd to find us because we were lost & found.
‘So Jesus told them this story: “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!’
Luke 15:3-7
Lost & Found Coin:
This passage describes the parable of the lost coin, where Jesus explains how a woman would light a lamp and sweep her house to find a lost coin. When she finds it, she rejoices and calls her friends and neighbors to celebrate with her. Let’s be looking and living for God because we were lost and found.
‘ “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin.’ In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.”’
Luke 15:8-10
Lost & Found Son:
This passage describes the parable of the prodigal son, where Jesus explains how a father welcomes back his son who had left home and squandered his inheritance. The father rejoices and throws a feast to celebrate his son’s return. So, let’s love on our kids who are or were lost & found.
‘To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.
“A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.
“When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’
“So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. ’
“But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.’
Luke 15:11-24
Lost – Have it or Need it?
As we begin today are you feeling a sense of being lost in this big world? Do you feel like you have lost something in your marriage or family? Upon discovering the chance to rebuild or restore your marriage and family, are you now rejoicing? As you invest effort in realigning things, are you doing so without imposition, allowing for a natural progression? Furthermore, in accordance with God’s Word, are you actively demonstrating love towards your wife and children? Let’s focus on the dads part and check out what Colossians and Ephesians has to say:
- “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— for we are members of his body. ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband”. – Ephesians 5:25-33
- “Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged” – Colossians 3:21
From these verses, we can takeaway and learn how:
- the sacrificial nature of Christ’s love for the church and how husbands should emulate this love in their relationship with their wives. It also highlights the importance of mutual respect and care between spouses.
- the importance of creating a positive and supportive environment for children, free from bitterness and discouragement.
If you lost it and are seeking, invite Jesus into your situation. If you found it and are living in it, protect it so you don’t lose it by walking it out with Jesus.
Today’s Verse of the Day:
Whoever confesses and acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.
1 John 4:15 AMP
Therefore, let’s be the dads who confess with our lips and acknowledge in our hearts that Jesus is the Son of God! Moreover, let’s be the dads who are living our lives in ways where God who abides in us can be found and received by others. Additionally, let’s be the dads who have it and so choose to live our lives in God so that He will receive the praise, the honor, and the glory in Jesus’ name. Finally, let’s live our lives transformed as dads who have experienced being lost & found.
How can we put today’s verse of the day into action and step up and step into being the dads our wives and kids need us to be in a world with so many lost & found thoughts and ideas? What can we do with it to help us live up to the calling of God on our lives and glorify God?
Applications of 1 John 4:15 that can help us be the dads our wives and kids need while helping them have it in this lost & found world:
- Confession and Acknowledgment:
- Practice openly confessing and acknowledging Jesus as the Son of God in your daily life.
- Share your faith with your family, expressing the significance of Jesus in your life.
- Abiding in God:
- Cultivate a consistent and intimate relationship with God through prayer, study of the Scriptures, and worship.
- Demonstrate to your family the joy and peace that come from abiding in God.
- Modeling God’s Love:
- Emulate the sacrificial love of Christ in your relationships, especially in your marriage.
- Show love and kindness to your children, reflecting the love that God has shown to you.
- Creating a Holy Atmosphere:
- Foster an environment in your home that reflects holiness and purity.
- Encourage family members to engage in activities that uplift and honor God.
- Mutual Respect in Marriage:
- Practice mutual respect and communication with your spouse.
- Seek unity in decision-making and demonstrate Christ-like leadership in your family.
- Positive Parenting:
- Avoid bitterness in your interactions with your children.
- Provide encouragement and support, helping them grow in a positive environment.
- Confession of Faith:
- Encourage your family to openly confess their faith in Jesus.
- Discuss the significance of Jesus in your family’s life and share testimonies of His work.
- Living Transformed Lives:
- Continuously pursue personal transformation through the power of the Holy Spirit.
- Demonstrate to your family the positive changes that occur when one lives in Christ.
- Being a Light in the World:
- Teach your family to be lights in the world, sharing the love of Christ with others.
- Engage in outreach activities as a family to impact the community positively.
- Giving Glory to God:
- Lead your family in giving glory, honor, and praise to God in all circumstances.
- Foster a spirit of gratitude and acknowledgment of God’s presence in your family’s life.
Seek God’s Guidance to help navigate lives experiences:
By applying these principles, you can actively live out 1 John 4:15 and, in doing so, be the dad your family needs in a world filled with lost & found experiences. Remember to seek God’s guidance and rely on His strength in this journey.
