Lost Treasure

The last night of the production at church, as we stood behind the partition during altar call, we noticed there was a little gap between two sections of the temporary walls that hid us from the audience. As we stood with Bibles in hand, waiting to be called out, those of us who could peeked through to the crowd out there. My pastor's wife was standing beside me, and we were all praying quietly when suddenly she saw someone she knew stand to his feet. "That's my neighbor!" she exclaimed quietly, and she started jumping up and down. I have never seen someone so excited. As the evangelist ministered to those who had stood to say "Yes, I want to know Jesus!", this woman of God beside me somehow restrained her elation to an appropriate whisper as she explained. "We've been praying for him! He almost died a few months ago! Oh, praise the Lord!! Praise the Lord!!!" And with that she began dancing in circles in the tiny bit of space she had. We all rejoiced with her for this new brother-how could we not? Her joy was precious! This was just a glimpse of what was going on in heaven right then. I knew because Jesus Himself tells us in Luke 15:7  that "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!"

As we celebrated with her, I wondered who might be out there that I knew. I had invited many. There were a couple of people in particular I had prayed for the whole week. One was a bank teller who had shown tremendous interest in this man named Jesus over the past six months, asking me questions when I'd come to make deposits and truly listening as the line always backed up behind me. The other was a close friend who is already a believer, but has yet to tap into the mighty power of God in her own life. "Oh, Lord," I prayed, "are they out there? Are they standing? Is all of heaven rejoicing over them right now?"

The short version is NO. They weren't there. My bank teller friend had not experienced the Gospel being acted out before him in powerful real life situations. My other friend was no doubt sitting at home, struggling with the same old struggles and not surrendering those same old struggles to God. Disappointment fell on me like a cold, wet blanket. And on the way home, it turned to anger.

"Why is it," I asked my ever patient and understanding husband, "that I always pour into people who don't really want to be poured into? Why is it that I spend hours of my life counseling people who ask my advice and then don't take it? They ask, but they don't ever do anything different. They say they'll come and they don't. They say they will and they won't. I think I'm just wasting my time! Why even bother?!"

By the time we got home, I was almost in tears. The funny thing was, I knew I should be rejoicing over the  300+ people who had rushed down to our alter over the last three nights. And I truly was glad for them, and for God, because I knew He was happy.  I knew that all my efforts for the kingdom had not been in vain, contrary to the way I felt. Over the next few days, as I worked through my own disappointment, God showed me exactly why none of my friends came. There was a purpose and a lesson it for me. Again, He was showing me His heart.

Jesus taught, "Suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.' In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." (Luke 15:8-10)

Even in the joy of revival or the excitement of many coming to Christ, there are still so many who remain in darkness. There are still so many who don't know that they don't have to live alone. They don't have to struggle. They don't have to lack. They don't know that they are His lost treasure. There was a time when I was the one who didn't know. God could have said all the things about me that I said about my friends who didn't show up. Reread that paragraph  and you'll see. But I'm so glad He didn't do what I felt like doing. He didn't give up. He didn't  find someone more worthy of His time. And even though He knew I would disappoint and reject Him, He still went to the cross for me. He lit the lamp, swept the house and searched carefully for me until He found me, and I am so glad He did. Now, under His direction, I will use my life to do the same for others.

Father, thank You for sharing Your heart with me. Help me to rise above my feelings and love people with Your heart. Help me not just to show compassion but to truly experience it. Don't ever let me forget that it is only by Your mercy and grace that I am even in a position to minister to others. Thank You for coming into the darkest of circumstances to recover and restore your lost treasure.

In His mighty love,

Amy

copyright 2010, Amy Wallace