(Jesus said)"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." Luke 19:10

"Find a penny; pick it up, all day long you'll have good luck."

Pretty soon, finding a penny might really be a sign of good luck. Certainly, finding a penny is going to be harder to do. That's because the lowly penny seems to be going the way of the dodo, the passenger pigeon, and the handwritten "thank-you" letter.

Don't doubt it. Recently, the Canadian government decided to stop minting the copper coin and has developed a plan to call in all the pennies that are still floating around. The day may come when the U.S. decides to follow. Why not? It costs 2.4 cents for the government to mint a penny.

On a smaller scale, private businesses wonder if it's worth the personnel time it takes to make change and the accountant time it takes to balance the books "to the penny."

Feeling the frustration of the penny, Miami lumber store owner Andy Haase has decided to do away with the coin. That's right. When you come into his store, you'll see a sign that reads, "No more pennies! For cash sales, we round in your favor."

I guess when it comes to economics, that kind of thinking makes sense.

Even so, I'm glad the Savior didn't adopt that attitude when it came to the saving of souls. If you listen to all the things He said, if you watch all the things the evangelists recorded Him doing, you will find Jesus never encountered a valueless soul. Indeed, it seems as if the lower a person was in the eyes of society the more love the Savior showed that individual.

This is good news for the likes of you and me.

You see, when it comes right down to it, you and I just aren't that good. We've got black hearts and dark thoughts. We rebel, we sin, we transgress.

Yet, it is for folks like us that Jesus entered this world and gave His life as the price which had to be paid, if we were to be ransomed. And none of us was too small to escape His attention -- too unimportant to be passed over.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, You took time for the Samaritan, the publican, the little children, the lepers, and the diverse sinners of humankind. More than that, You have opened Your heart for me. May I live my life in appreciation and thanks for Your sacrifice. In Your Name. Amen.

In Christ I remain His servant and yours,

Today's Bible Readings: Psalms 101, 103, 108    John 15

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