I knew the odds of my finding the wedding ring in the middle of the frigid Canadian river were slim to none, but her riverside weeping kept me searching. The cold water, dwindling daylight, and muscle spasms had caused my uncle, the owner of the lost ring, to leave his pursuit in futility and frustration. With a few more dives left in me, I literally saw a glimmer of hope. Too far north to be a bottle cap, I figured the shiny object had to be my quarry. Taking my final, large breathe, I plunged to the river bed and came up with the ring. My aunt’s wails turned to screams of joy. What was lost had been found…as far as the ring was concerned. (Pause for Thought: “Or 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 Have you ever passionately pursued something or someone only to leave the pursuit due to exhaustion, indifference, and/or forgetfulness? What are your feelings on the matter to this day? Have you ever pursued something to its completion? How did those results make you feel?)
In His story about the lost coin, Jesus describes an Israelite woman who had lost one of her ten pieces of silver given to her by her husband at their wedding. The silver was never to be used, unless in widowhood, and couldn’t be taken as a payment for debt. In fact, if the husband found out the pieces were missing, it was safe for him to assume the wife had used the silver to finance a lover. You can see why the frantic pursuit of the coin was pictured and the heavenly response of joy was described. Heaven rejoices with those who pursue and find the “rightness” of life, even to the point of changing direction (repentance) to seek and stay in righteousness. The Kingdom of Heaven is never irrelevant or out of reach. (Pause for Thought: “He who pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity, and honor.”—Proverbs 21:21; “Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.”—Psalm 34:14 Have you ever been so distracted, or even misled, to the point you forgot or neglected who you were, what you were about, or to whom you belonged? What result did this have on your emotions and behavior? If you sought to correct the matter, how did you do it? What were the consequences others encountered throughout this time?)
I would like to tell you my heroism in the pursuit and capture of the lost ring was remembered and appreciated to this day. The marriage the ring represented dissolved less than a year later, and the memory of the recovery isn’t near so significant or relevant at this point in time. I wished and prayed my uncle and aunt would’ve pursued each other with the same intensity and conviction I pursued their ring. This is how Christ pursues us, and it’s His desire we pursue His desires. Pursuing Kingdom matters and people with the heart of Christ is the most significant and relevant thing we can do. The need to do so is greater now than ever. (Pause for Thought: “Naked a man comes from his mother’s womb, and as he comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand. This too is a grievous evil: As a man comes, so he departs, and what does he gain, since he toils for the wind?”—Ecclesiastes 5:15-16 What are you pursuing right now? How relevant and lasting is it to you and your relationships? Is God part and result of your pursuit? How does knowing God wants to give you your desire, so you can pursue it, capture it, and leave it help you with your decision making?)
