June 16, 2024 Devo

I want you to do something for me today. I want you to read the passage above again out loud, but this time I want you to change one word. I want you to substitute your name for the word “world.” Go ahead; I’ll wait. Was it awkward for you? How did it sound? How did it feel? Did it seem like you were being presumptuous or a bit arrogant to read it that way? I mean, after all, this is the most famous verse in all the world. Surely it wasn’t written just about YOU, was it?
Well, the obvious answer is, “No, it wasn’t.” There was a whole world who was in need of a Savior, not just one person. Jesus came for all of us. All of us who were lost. All of us who were sinners. All of us who were messed up and mixed up with no hope in sight. You weren’t alone in your need for Jesus. We ALL needed Him.
But what if you were the only one in need of Him? What if everyone else had toed the line, stayed close to God, and YOU were the only sinner left? Do you really think YOU would have been enough of a reason for Jesus to come? Yes, you would have.
Do you know how I know this? Jesus told a parable in Luke 15 about “lost things.” A lost sheep, a lost coin, and a lost son. In all of these stories, there was only ONE that was lost. The shepherd had 99 sheep that weren’t lost. The woman had other coins that hadn’t gotten out of her jar and onto the floor. The father had at least one other son and possibly some daughters as well. But in every one of these stories, the owner went looking for the ONE. One lost sheep mattered to the shepherd. One lost coin mattered to the woman. And one lost son mattered dearly to the father. They all were willing to do whatever it took for the ONE.
That ONE is YOU. It wouldn’t have mattered if God had a hundred, a million, or 8 billion other people that were His, He would have left heaven behind to come and find YOU. You matter to God. You are precious to Him. If you were the only one who needed Him, Jesus would have come just for you. So read the verse out loud one more time with your name inserted instead of the word “world.” Let the depth of God’s love wash over you as you do. And let this truth give you a renewed sense of value and worth. YOU mean “the world” to Jesus. That’s God’s Word for you today.