June 20 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Luke 15:1-10:

¹Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.
²And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.
³And he spake this parable unto them, saying,
⁴What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?
⁵And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
⁶And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.
⁷I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.
⁸Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it?
⁹And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost.
¹⁰Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

Devotional

"They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." "The Son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost." What is it to be lost? He is lost that is in a hopeless condition and no helper or deliverer at hand. Thus a child may be lost in the woods, or a ship at sea, or a man on the open prairie on a stormy night. So man is spiritually lost. He cannot save himself from sin and death. And there is no mere creature in all the universe that can save him. But God has provided a Saviour — Jesus. "He shall save his people from their sins." The Good Shepherd seeks his sheep till he finds it. The first thing the Saviour does, is to cause the sinner to realize his lost condition. Through the law of God He shows him the greatness of his sin and misery. Whether a man has lived in open sin, or has lived an outwardly moral life, when the law comes, he feels that he is utterly lost, without life and without God. And when he is in this condition, the grace of God takes him and brings him from death unto life. The lost has been found. The Good Shepherd carries his sheep home, and there is joy in heaven.

Prayer

Merciful God and Father. We thank Thee that Thou didst not leave us in our wretched and lost condition, but didst send Thy Son Jesus to seek and to save the lost. We cannot sufficiently thank Thee for Thine infinite mercy which Thou hast shown unto us in bringing us from darkness unto light, from death unto life, from utter wretchedness unto joy unspeak­able and full of glory.

O Father, forgive us our coldness and indifference and unbe­lief. When we ought to rejoice, we doubt and fear and even murmur. Fill our hearts with a holy zeal and enthusiasm, that we cannot help but speak of the salvation of our God, that others through us may learn to know the way of salvation and with us praise Thy name, now and for ever. Amen.

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Scripture in Devotional: Mark 2:17; Matt. 1:21; Luke 15:4, 7.

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