Found in the Sweep (Luke 15)
What is interesting about the idea of FOUND is that being found is a secondary condition. It follows being lost or hidden. If you are like me, you keep up with things. You are orderly and systematic concerning the organization of your life and belongings.
So when something is lost, you might say it’s misplaced. Or, that you just can’t find it. But lost? No, it’s not lost because you and I keep up with things. We don’t lose things.
Let’s drop these thoughts into a spiritual context and look at the beginning of Luke 15 at the parables of the 1) lost sheep and the 2) lost coin.
The shepherd leaves the 99 to go after the one lost sheep. We pull on others to keep up, and tend to shame those who are behind pace for their varied reasons — distraction, disobedience, laziness, or just smelling the flowers. We say, “If you’re coming, come on!” I have, and do. But when are we compelled to step away from the group, not to be different or unique or to “do us,” but to go after the one? To bring another current? It is worth meditation.
The house is swept in the nooks and crannies to find the lost coin. It was this parable that convicted me. Similar to how we say we “turned the house/car/office upside down” to find something, Abba looks for us. He does not look because He does not know our location, but to show us that someone is going to an effort to find or claim us. Isn’t that powerful?! The need for affection and belonging is a core need. We all need to know that there is one who will search for us in our lost moments.
What if, in our lost moments, we turned ourselves inside out in a kind of inner search or sweep?
What if we treated ourselves as the valuable, priceless, irreplaceable lost things we seek in life?
Mature faith looks in, not up.
~ Derrick Traylor
FOUND reveals VALUE. This is the Lord’s marvelous work of grace in our lives. And in turn of times and seasons, He keeps showing us — unearthing, revealing — how He values us when He shines His light in our lost and dark spaces.
This FOUND idea is powerful. We start to apply the golden rule in healthy ways, and understand our value (not defensively, but freely) to ourselves and our relationships. We become wiser in this progressive understanding, guarding our hearts with the Holy Spirit’s discernment. We become better people that are better for people. Selah.
Shaunta D. Scroggins is the lead contributor to My Berean Life. You may comment to engage discussion on this topic.
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The Bereans' Commentary with Shaunta D. Scroggins, Ed.D. 
Awesome insight WOG!