Day 3: Lost and Found!
Because GOD IS MERCIFUL, I know He forgives me when I sincerely ask in Jesus' name!
Read or quote the memory verse: But the Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against Him. - Daniel 9:9, Discover God Bible, (NLT).
Have you ever lost something that was precious to you -- a doll, a toy, a book? What did you do?
Jesus tells a story about a woman who lost something precious.
Let's read Luke 15:8-10.
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. - Discover God Bible, (NLT).
What did the coin do to be found? (Nothing)
You and I can't do anything to earn God's mercy.
What did the woman do when she found her lost coin? (Called her friends and rejoiced.)
God gives us a lot of opportunities to accept His mercy through Jesus. He wants to give us mercy. It gives God joy to give us His mercy.
How can you give God joy? (Accept His mercy and be sorry for my sin!)
Remember the story about Sam Brown in Day 2? Sam was found guilty of a crime, but the judge, Sam's father, paid the penalty for him. Listen to the rest of Sam Brown's story, and let's see if he accepted his dad's mercy:
Mercy without Freedom
Sam couldn't take it anymore. All he could think about was the price his dad paid and how he should be in "The Pit" and not the judge. He looked around the comfortable home his father had left him and knew he didn't deserve it. He decided there was only one thing he could do. With a heavy heart, Sam Brown left his home and walked with determination toward the tall, stone fortress that housed The Pit.
The guard raised his eyebrows in disbelief. No one had ever asked to be let in to The Pit before. "It can't be done," he answered gruffly. "The debt has been paid. The judge is no longer here."
Sam didn't know what to do next. The judge must have died already, for there was no other way out of The Pit. As he turned to go, Sam saw a stone near the grey, cold wall of the fortress. "If I can't pay for the crime myself," Sam thought, "at least I can sit next to The Pit. And that's exactly what Sam Brown did. For days and days, he sat on the hard stone and leaned against the cold wall and was miserable. "Just as I should be," he thought.
In the winter, when the cold rains beat down on him, Sam thought of his father's house. It would have a warm fire burning on the hearth with hot soup to fill his stomach.
But Sam stayed where he was, and everyone that walked by whispered sadly, "He acts as much in prison on the outside of the wall as he would be on the inside."
- - -
Did Sam accept his dad's act of mercy? (We could answer "yes" and "no?" He did accept his dad's payment for his crime, but he held on to the guilt he felt and was never free to live the life his dad had died to let him live.)
Sam's dad paid an incredible price to give his son the chance to live free, and yet Sam kept trying to pay for his crimes by making his life miserable.
Do you think his dad would have been happy or sad about the way his son was living? Why?
God is so excited when we accept Jesus' payment for our sin! He wants us to be free from guilt and to live life full of joy! He's like the widow who found a precious coin that was lost. He's having a party for you in heaven!
Always remember, as soon as you confess your sin, celebrate His mercy with God, and let go of your guilt!
Why does it matter?
Because God is merciful, He wants us to receive His mercy.
Because God is merciful, He is filled with joy when we are sorry when we sin, confess it, and accept His mercy.
Talk with God and Stay Connected to the Vine!
Do you know how thrilled God is that you have accepted His payment for your sins? You are like the lost coin that is found! He's celebrating because of you! Ask God to give you an opportunity to tell someone who still doesn't know about His mercy.
All Bible Times for God Is Merciful