Daily Devotions
Joy Before the Angels of God
Title: Joy Before the Angels of God
Reading for April 15: 1 Kings 16-18
Weekly reading for April 15-21: Luke 15-19
"Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.' Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
Luke 15:8-10
There is a trio of parables in Luke 15 that all follow the same pattern. Something is lost. That which was lost is found. There is rejoicing. The shepherd rejoices when he has found his lost sheep. The woman rejoices when she has found her lost coin. And the father rejoices when he has found his lost son.
Jesus, the Son of God, is giving us a window into heaven's reaction when "one sinner" repents (v 7, 10). Jesus mentions angels in this and it may be we've missed something. We say that angels are rejoicing when a sinner comes home (and that is certainly true), but Jesus doesn't actually say the angels rejoice. What he says is that there is "joy before the angels," which tells me that the angels who "stand in the presence of God" witness our Father rejoicing when this happens.
The point is that we are precious to God, and not merely as a collectivity. Just as you love each one of your children and treasure each one individually, so our Father in heaven loves each and every one of us. As often as we sin and rebel against him, our Father's love for us never fails. His grace is immeasurable. His mercy endures to all generations.
Father, how can we thank you for loving us as you do!
