And The Crowd Goes Wild

• Where is the best place to attend a sporting event? Why?

• Why don’t we celebrate spiritual accomplishments the way we celebrate athletic ones?

“I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”
Luke 15:7

Have you ever given a great performance? Maybe it was a flawless recital. Maybe it was the game-winning free throw or home run. Maybe it was a memorable scene in a play. Whatever the circumstances were, think about the audience’s reaction. Try to relive the excitement and emotions of the moment.

Now imagine being able to create that kind of reaction among the citizens of heaven. According to Jesus’ words in Luke 15:7, the heavens react with a loud cheer whenever a person repents and asks God for forgiveness. All of heaven gets so excited about another person’s salvation that they shout for joy.

It’s comforting to know that the cheer comes from heaven—from those who have already received God’s salvation. They know what lies ahead for us because they’re experiencing it. And they can’t wait for us to experience it.

PRAYER
Dear God, thank you for filling heaven with people who celebrate repentance. With your help, we would love to keep the cheers going by encouraging others to repent and believe. Amen.