Growing up, my dad, also my pastor, made many sacrifices for ministry. He often gave the last of what he had to the church, leaving very little for the family to subsist on. In really tight times, when we needed money badly, my father would have the children search for loose change around the house.

We’d look underneath sofas and couch cushions; search through old handbags and pockets; lift up mattresses and dressers; raid piggybanks and rummage through miscellaneous drawers. Amazingly, even though finances were scarce, we’d always manage to scrape up pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters. It was mostly pennies though.

On those hunts, when we stumbled across a quarter, we celebrated! Sometimes, we’d find so much change, we spent hours putting it all in coin wrappers before taking it to the bank in exchange for dollars.

Times weren’t easy, but God took care of us. And I appreciate those days. They taught me to be grateful and to value what I have—whether little or much— like the woman in the parable Jesus spoke about in Luke 15:8-10.

He said, “Suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she 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.”

This is one of the stories the Savior told as a repudiation of the religious elite’s idea that Jesus shouldn’t spend time with sinners and tax collectors. Back then, tax collectors had such a bad reputation because they burdened the Jews through deception. Not only did they work for the Roman government, but they would over-tax Jewish citizens and pocket the difference. They were seen as greedy scammers and con artists.

Why would Jesus associate with them?

Well, the Messiah explained through this parable that He greatly cared about and valued sinners whose souls were lost. Those who were regarded righteous were not preferred over those who were viewed as unrighteous. Jesus, just as the woman who lost her silver coin, would do whatever was necessary to seek and save the lost.  

That word “coin” in this passage, is the Greek word “drachma,” which, back then, was worth about a day’s wages. So when Jesus told this story, all the hearers easily understood why the woman went on an extensive search and recovery mission.

Who wants to lose a day’s wages, right?

Comparing sinners and societal outcasts to a valuable coin was a radical idea. But it also lets us inside the mind of Christ and how He views those that others see as worthless.

God doesn’t see you like man sees you. He treasures those that others label trash. He embraces those that others shun. He elevates those that others tear down. He blesses those that others curse.

Aren’t you glad He loves you and me? Isn’t it amazing to know He thought we were worth saving? Isn’t it an honor to be on the receiving end of His radical love and grace—the kind of love that drove Jesus to lay down His life to save us?

Friend, His overwhelming, divine love did not stop flowing at Calvary. The Lord still loves you radically. He goes out of His way to reveal to you how much He cares about you. You are the object of God’s affection. He dotes on you. It pleases Him to bless you. He loves making ways for you. He delights in showering you with His goodness.

He cares about every detail of your life. He goes to great lengths to secure the best outcomes for you and cause things to work together for your good.

But Satan doesn’t want you to believe this. That’s why the enemy works hard to convince you that you don’t matter; that God has forgotten you; that you aren’t special; that the Lord doesn’t have a good plan for your life.

Don’t buy into Satan’s lies!

You are precious in God’s sight. He has treasures laid up for you. He has a bountiful harvest waiting for you because you belong to Him. Again, you are precious to God. You are worth far more than a day’s wages. You’re worth so much, in fact, that Jesus gave up His very life! There is no greater value and no greater love than that.

Amen?

To remind you of how God sees you, I’m stirring the first portion of Isaiah 43:3 in the Contemporary English Version right into your cup of inspiration, which says, “To me, you are very dear, and I love you.”

As you drink down the contents of your cup, rest in His love. God’s affection for you will be expressed through His good plan for your life. Incredible things await you because you are His redeemed, His beloved and His chosen.

Even though you will sometimes go through hard things, remember, because of who you are to Him, He will secure victory for you every time. Expect to receive great blessings, miracles and breakthroughs!

Now let’s pray.

God, I thank You for loving me and showering me with Your goodness. I pray Ephesians 3:18 over myself, that I will grow to understand “how wide, how long, how high, and how deep” the love You have for me is. And I praise You that nothing can ever separate me from Your love and the enemy can’t stop the great plan You have for my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

As always, thanks for reading and until next time... may today's cup of inspiration uplift, encourage, and empower you!

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