Let’s pray: Lord I come to you humbled that by Your grace I may have a new life .  Please use me as your vessel to be your Disciple reaching out to all as the light on the hill.  Please clear my mind & spirit as I listen to your words so that my words & actions become a symbol to all that I come into contact with today & in the future until I sit at the right of Jesus.   Amen.

Matthew 18:11-14

New International Version (NIV)

12 “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13 And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. 14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.

Have you ever lost something?  Some people just say well ok, I’m sure it will turn up sooner or later.  Not me!  I become obsessed with trying to find it.  It may not even have any value.  It may be something with little or no significance.  But I can’t go on until I find it.  I retrace all of my steps looking for whatever insignificant thing that I have lost.  It’s just the principle that I lost something & has nothing to do with what I have lost. (Maybe that is just me trying to be in control again!)  I may even wake up in the middle of the night & remember some place that I didn’t look & get up & go check that place.

Can you imagine that God looks for each of His Lost sheep exponentially more times than I do?  HE lovels and cares for every lost person.  HE uses each one of us to look & care for the lost sheep.  Does HE care more for the children that are lost than the faithful?  Of course not!  God is very pleased when His children stay faithful, but HE throws a party when a straying “sheep” is brought back to the flock.  As I was preparing for this scripture I read an analogy that I thought describes God’s celebration for the lost sheep returning best by saying that it is similar to how we celebrate the birth of a new baby.  We love & are excited & celebrate the birth of the new baby, but that doesn’t mean we love our other children any less!

Although I am obsessed with losing anything, I would have a hard time leaving 99 sheep, dogs, people, whatever to go look for the 1 that is missing.  I think I would be more worried about finding the 1 & losing the other 99.  The saying a “bird in the hand, is better than 2 in the bush” kind of comes to mind.  Yet God loves each one of us (lost, straying or faithful) equally & cares so much for each one of us that He gave his only son for us.  For me!

I am glad that God obsesses over me even though I am far from perfect.  HE loves me with all of my imperfections & although I may hurt him when I stray, He rejoices when I return.   Are you as excited about God obsessing over each one of us (lost, straying or faithful) as I am?   I would love to hear from you!

Jerry