(Jesus said) "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

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

The salvation story of Jesus Christ reaches around the world. So that the readers of our Daily Devotion may see the power of the Savior on a global scale, we have asked the volunteers of our International Ministry Centers to write our Friday devotions. We pray that the Spirit may touch your day through their words.

In Christ, I remain, His servant and yours,
Kenneth R. Klaus
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour

Through this parable our Lord Jesus tells me a truth. He lets me know that I was a lost coin.

Once upon a time, somewhere in a corner, in the darkest corner of a room, hidden from sight, I was lying unnoticed. Do you know why? It was because of my sin, my insubordination and disobedience. Being a mere coin, I had no thought, no desire to be found.

There I was destined to stay: a lonely coin, lying alone in the darkness.

But the Lord did not wish to have me stay this way. Untiringly, both day and night, He searched for me. He searched by lighting the candle, sweeping the house, seeking diligently. He never gave up on me, a poor sinner. He wanted me back where I belonged. He wanted me back, and He reached out to me.

Working with Lutheran Hour Ministries in India, I see many lost coins. One such person -- he must remain nameless -- came from a small town in the outskirts of Chennai city. By faith, he was not a Christian; he was a follower of Islam, who had a nice, small family.

He earns his living as a daily wage earner.

Tragically, a wrong friendship made him an addict to liquor.

His life became miserable, and he became a source of pity as, every evening, he lay drunk in the gutter. His wife, parents, friends tried to advise him; indeed, they pleaded with him to get away from this evil. Still, no attempt, no power, was strong enough to change this young man's life. That's the way it was until, one particular evening, he came home a bit early from his job.

You should know LHM-India has a youth club in that slum to encourage the young people. Every evening the boys and girls gather for games and other activities. We also have a prayer time together. On this day our young man watched youngsters playing a game called "carom board." (It's a game like tabletop billiards.) He got interested in watching the game, and eventually he took a seat to join in.

For the first time in a while our young man was happy and forgot his daily routine of drinking. Days passed with this young man attending the game and praying with us in the evening. Soon he completely forgot the habit of drinking.

His wife noticed the change in her husband's life and came in search of ... no, no, the Holy Spirit brought her to the point where God began a new life for them all, a life in Jesus. Today the whole family has been brought to faith by the Gospel as it was seen by my friends at Lutheran Hour Ministries-India.

A lost coin had been brought home, along with many other such lost coins.

THE PRAYER: Lord our Heavenly Father, thank You for finding me, a lost coin. Thank You for restoring honor, hope and respect into my life. Lord, lead me as Your child, and help me to guide others into this Gospel message of salvation through the Savior. In His Name I pray. Amen.

Biography of Author: Today's international devotion was written by Rev. P. Chelladurai, a retired pastor from the Nagercoil Synod of the India Evangelical Lutheran Church. Pastor has served in various congregations in the Nagercoil Synod and as editor of the Lutheran Church's official magazine. He is an active volunteer for the Lutheran Hour Ministries in India. He helps us with our Daily Devotions for those who speak the Tamil language as well as authoring vacation Bible school (VBS) lessons for youth. In this country of one billion people, LHM-India offers around-the-clock Internet-based Gospel outreach programming. This 50-plus-year-old ministry center shares the story of God's redemptive work in Jesus by sponsoring rallies, stage plays, public music programs and dance. Using cassettes, printed literature and with Bible Correspondence Courses (BCC) offered in Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Hindi Marathi, Gujarati and English, thousands of people have heard the Good News.

To learn more about our International Ministries, click here or visit www.lhmint.org.

In Christ I remain His servant and yours,

Today's Bible Readings: Genesis 7-9    Matthew 3

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