Have you ever been lost? The funny thing about being lost is that you may not realize you’re lost for some time! But when you do understand that you are lost…you just want to be found. Jesus told an illustration about a shepherd who had a flock of a hundred sheep. And then, he realizes that one of them has wandered away. But in this little story, Jesus tells us that the shepherd will leave the ninety-nine other sheep and go and look for the one that is lost. And if he finds that sheep…then he will break out with much rejoicing over this lost one that he recovered. Actually he will rejoice over this lost one more than the ninety-nine that didn’t wander away. When you hear that story, it seems so unreasonable for a shepherd to walk away from all those other sheep to find that one that is lost. That story seems crazy…until you are the one sheep…until in some way you are lost. We can get lost in all kinds of ways. We find ourselves in places in life where we don’t know what to do or how to find safety and security. When you are the one who is out there and it seems like you are all alone, your promise is that the good shepherd is coming after you. You might avoid him or even reject him. But he will be there…because you are important to him. I’ve been that lost sheep…and I bet you have been or might feel like you are right now. If you are now, just call out to him. And the way we do that is through prayer. And that line is open 24/7. John Newton wrote that timeless hymn called “Amazing Grace”. The first stanza he wrote goes like this…
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now am found
Was blind, but now I see
Remember, no matter what your “lostness” is like, that good shepherd is out there for you. Call for him and you can be sure that rescue is on the way. Because you are that important to him. Here’s our Bible verse for today…
Matthew 18:12-13 NLT “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? (13) And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn’t wander away!
Remember I’m praying for you!
With love, PJ
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now am found
Was blind, but now I see
Remember, no matter what your “lostness” is like, that good shepherd is out there for you. Call for him and you can be sure that rescue is on the way. Because you are that important to him. Here’s our Bible verse for today…
Matthew 18:12-13 NLT “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? (13) And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn’t wander away!
Remember I’m praying for you!
With love, PJ