Luke 15:8-10 The Lost Coin
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: October 1, 2018 Luke 15:8-10
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
“Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
(Understanding the Text) It’s interesting that after the Pharisees criticized Jesus for associating with sinners, Jesus’ first two parables in answer are about two low groups in the Jewish totem pole: women and shepherds. I wondered about that in the last parable. Why shepherds? The Pharisees would have looked with contempt and confusion on the example. Why women? Again, the same reaction. The only conclusion I have is that Jesus was not telling these parables for his critics to understand, but instead, He was reassuring His sinful listeners that they were important. I guess from that viewpoint, the 99 who had no need of being found could be the Pharisees. Jesus was telling His sinful listeners that He would leave the crème of there society just to find each of them and carry them home with rejoicing.
(Understanding the Text / Revelation of God) Now Jesus speaks to the women of the crowd. Jesus is comparing Himself to a woman. The sinful people are silver coins, just like the ones who are not lost. They are of equal value, not to be looked down on. The fact that they are lost is what requires the extra effort. A lamp is lit, and the floor is swept throughout the entire house until the coin is found and returned to a place of safety. Jesus even says that He would brag about the sinful one’s return to His friends. Then He tells them that His friends are the angels who rejoice over that particular sinner’s repentance.
(Application / Prayer) My application for myself is that I cannot be lazy. I have to continue to work toward bringing others to Jesus. The shepherd looked everywhere; the woman lit a lamp and swept the whole house. A lot of effort was made to regain the lost. I need to be willing to put in the effort required also. I need to value Jesus’ lost sheep as equal to those who are not lost. This is hard for me because I just don’t like people that much. They are messes. Even the best of them are frustrating and confusing to me. I don’t have enough love and patience. I ask for love and patience and a desire to tell others of You and most of all the desire to do Your will.