Here Is the Key to The Kingdom

Yesterday we talked about how the  thirst of the Samaritan woman drew God's favor to her life.    Today we are going to talk about the woman who lost her coins, and swept the house until she found them.  This is a parable, but Jesus is teaching us about the keys to the Kingdom of God if we would listen.

8“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins^a and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ 10In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

When we return to God in repentance it is the same to God as when we lose a coin and then find it again.   Have you ever lost a large sum of money?  We search through all our clothes, our furniture, our laundry, our car.   It is a bad feeling to lose money that you really needed and couldn't afford to lose, but what a relief when you find it again.     When we repent we are found by God.   We are considered lost until we  repent, so the key is repentance.   We saw yesterday that thirst will cause God to seek us out and the truth is most people are thirsty in some way or another.  And God is continually searching for us, but He does not consider us to be found until we repent.  Our thirst may cause Christ to seek after us, but until we repent we are still just as lost as ever.  The Samaritan woman was thirsty and Jesus addressed that thirst and then he addressed her sin.  Praying is not enough.  We must repent.   Going to church is not enough to find God's favor, we must repent.   God is not impressed with our prayer, he is moved by our repentance.   Anyone can pray, but only someone that is surrendered to God will repent and allow God to change their heart.   

What does your life say about you?  Everyday I humble myself and repent before God for in repentance and humility you will find rest.  God's favor rest upon those that are truly repentant before Him.