Devotion for May 14, 2026

“For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.” (Luke 19:10, NLT)

In God’s eyes, there are only two kinds of people — saved people and lost people. Every one of us falls into one of these two categories. Ultimately, no other human distinction matters.

God loves all people, regardless of gender, race, or culture. In fact, He created them with those characteristics. He doesn’t distinguish people by their education, looks, wealth, or talent. What matters most to Him is whether people are spiritually saved or lost — whether they’re in His family or not.

The words “saved” and “lost” imply value; they mean that God sees you as worthy of seeking, saving, and finding. “Saved” and “lost” are expressions of His love.

The Bible says, “For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost” (Luke 19:10, NLT). That’s how valuable you are. Jesus Christ came to earth to seek and save you.

Only valuable things get lost; invaluable things just get misplaced. In other words, nobody loses a toothpick. You may misplace a toothpick, but you don’t lose it, because it’s not that valuable.

If I lost my wedding ring, it would be a real loss because it represents decades of commitment to my wife. Not only that, but Delcie gave it to me, and I love her. I could never misplace my wedding ring; I could, however, lose it.

So, when we talk about whether a person is spiritually saved or lost, we’re not talking about their value. Every person — saved or not — is incredibly valuable to God.

But God doesn’t want anyone to be spiritually lost. Why? This means they are disconnected from Him and lack a relationship with Him.

Ponderings:

• Have you — perhaps unconsciously — thought of people who are lost as having different value from those who are saved? How does it feel to know all people are of equal value to God?
• What’s an example of something you have lost? What’s something you have misplaced? What was the value of each of those things to you?
• Who in your life needs to hear how valuable they are to God? How can you take time to encourage them by telling them that today?

Prayer

Father, I thank You for Your gift of family through the salvation offered by Your Son, Jesus. Help me to keep “family focused” in my life, and give me the chance to tell others about this family of believers.