Be That 1%...

I 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.

Luke 15:7

Today’s devotion gives us a plain view of how much God cares about His creation… There are billions of people walking this earth right not today and God desires that every last one of them come to know and believe in Him… God cared enough to send His very own son to die; however, the true happiness of God can be found in not a single being perishing and spending eternity without Him… Luke reminds us today that God is happy with the one who is seeking His will on a daily basis; however, He is overjoyed at the individuals who decide to leave their old paths and turn to Him today… This is not to say that He is doesn’t care about those who are trying to walk right, but that He is devoting His resources to strengthening you so that others can turn and seek Him… You play a vital rule in the kingdom of God and this is not about your appearance in church but how you appear to others that you encounter on your way to church or your home or workplace… God is smiling at the steps you are taking and joy is filled in heaven when you bring another soul to Him… Your desire on a daily basis should be to get at least one… Share the good news of the gospel with your peers, be the beacon light God created you to be and open up your hand of love to the stranger that may have never known love before… You are called to please God and the best way to do that is bring another person before Him…  Jesus made His mission clear on this earth clear when He said, “I am here for the sick…” The desire of God is not to see us perish, it isn’t to see us struggle nor to see us in bondage to sin or in captivity of the desires of the flesh; God desires that we repent from our natural form of sin and be reunited with Him… Repentance in the ability to acknowledge your sin and then choosing to turn away from it… There are a lot of us that have not completed the repentance stage of this Christian walk and this leaves our lives still full of voids and unanswered questions… God is ready to transform, mold and wipe clean; however, He is waiting for you to truly repent and turn… This message today reminds us that all is not lost… You may feel down and out, you might have written yourself off and may even be on the edge; the word of today is that there is joy waiting to spring up, Christ is ready to smile down with favor upon you and is ready to fill your life if only you would give Him a try… So many of us have been trying things on our own, we have tried to figure it out, tried to come up with solutions and find ourselves continuing to fall by the wayside… While in this state we often times give up on finding the answer, if you are in this state right now than Luke has a word for you… All is not lost; and you can still come out on top… When you come out on top you will find yourself in the minority instead of the majority… You will be of a select few which have made it which is why the heavens are filled with joy… So many of us have let our past failures restrict us and limit us; however, the word is clear in that God wants you to be that 1 percent… Be the one person that brings joy to the Lord, your friends may become few and far between, situations may appear to be going south, but you just trust in the Lord knowing that you made the right decision and will be better because of it…

I find another message in this passage which deals with a self-inventory that we must do… Luke says that 1 is better than the 99 which need no repentance… I declare that you must be that 1 percent today because we all need to repent… There are things that we have done that we might not be proud about, but don’t let yesterday limit your today; turn to Christ because He will be overjoyed in your decision instead of being turned off by your past mistakes… Luke records that the heavens rejoice when one turns from the ways of world to the Lord; however, the biggest key to this passage is that this one convert brings more joy than 99 just people… God isn’t worried about you being just in the world, He is worried about you walking in His will and according the path that was designed before you were formed… God’s focus is that you live in live more abundantly… Often times we confuse abundance of materials with God’s desires for us… When just said He came to give life it wasn’t because we were poor in finance but in spirit… The heavens rejoice because the poor in spirit have received their debt relief in the form of Christ and now have been added to the fold of those to join them in Eternal Bliss… This verse taken from the gospel of Luke embodies the true love and intent of God; heaven shall rejoice over the conversion of one sinner, than the ninety nine that are already believers… God’s purpose is that all would come to know Him and be saved; God’s purpose was that everyone would have a chance to inherit eternal life and the blessings of heaven and salvation… Jesus died that ALL can live; and the word of God even says that His return will come after His word has touched every area of the earth! When we think of love we think of God and the fact that true love is unconditional, it is forgiving and it is accepting of flaws… Luke teaches us today of the intent of God and what the intent of our very life should be! We go to church to learn and fellowship with God and His children; in learning we are too take that knowledge into the streets and bring souls to Christ! We too should be happy when one joins the church and accepts Christ as His personal savior; likewise, we should be uneasy at the sight of all the evil that is taking place in our various communities and societies… One of our personal missions in Christ is to spread the gospel, to be a beacon light and to carry our cross! God desires all to be saved, He isn’t happy with what He has (remember God is a jealous God)! Let us take on the mindset of Christ, let us desire to lend a helping hand, let us desire to be active in our communities, and let us desire to shine light in a dark and confused world! Let us stop being content with our church and seek to exalt the name of the Lord through our own bodies and dedication… Heaven smiled when you accepted Jesus Christ’s’ offering on the cross… Help bring more smiles to heavens door today by lifting up your fellowman and sharing God’s grace and mercy with him!

BE BLESSED!!!