God Pursues the Lost Sheep
OPENING PRAYER:
Father God, thank you for your faithfulness. Help me to persevere as I walk alongside those who are lost and to place my trust in you. Amen
“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?”
REFLECT:
One thing that we can be certain of is that God is faithful (Psalms 86:15), and today’s verse from the parable of the lost sheep tells us that the shepherd searches for the lost sheep until He finds it. Thankfully for us, the shepherd does not give up halfway and decide he is no longer interested in finding the wandering sheep.
I think this tells us two things. First, we ought to follow our shepherd’s example, and have faith and perseverance when we are walking alongside those who are lost. God’s timing is not our own (1 Timothy 6:15), and so we must remember that we are called to love and minister to those who are wondering or lost, and trust in the Lord.
The second thing this tells us, is that God remains faithful to those who have proclaimed Christ as Lord and Savior. Elsewhere in the gospels, again using the metaphor of sheep for those who believe in him, Jesus taught that no one can snatch us from his hand (John 10:27-30 NIV) and the Apostle Paul writes in Philippians that “he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6 NIV). We can be confident that when we fall short and wander from the herd our Shepherd will carry us home.
APPLY:
Consider where God may be calling you to persevere with someone who is wandering or lost. Talk to some of your fellow believers about their stories of redemption and recall stories that have been shared at Pathway of journeys that sometimes take years from the first conversation to a decision for Christ, and trust that God will remain faithful in your own life.
CLOSING PRAYER:
God, thank you for the faithfulness that you show to me every day. I pray that I will have the courage to persevere with someone who is lost.
WORSHIP: