Daily Bread

What do you think? If a shepherd has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.

I love the little intro to this saying (a slightly shorter version of the one found in Luke's gospel) — "What do you think?"

In Luke's gospel, the saying is developed into a parable where the shepherd throws the sheep over her shoulders, carries it home and then throws a party. The point being that a shepherd would NOT do this — but God does! In Matthew's gospel, the simpler meaning takes the forefront — the point that Jesus makes is that God seeks out the lost and rejoices over finding us.

I wonder if you have ever given time to consider that God rejoices that you have been found and saved? Yes, you! You are so precious to God that God literally wells up with joy that you are part of the flock. Think on that.

God is in the process of pursuing those that are lost. It is not that God stands (metaphorically) with arms folded, tapping a foot, waiting for us to draw close. No, God pursues us. And isn't that the way of love? Love is a verb and is acted upon. Love doesn't give up, and as Paul puts it in his first letter to the church in Corinth, "Love always perseveres."

God is relentless in chasing us down with love. Sometimes I wonder if we feel we have to 'do' something to be found and saved, but all we have to do is allow ourselves to be picked up and carried home.

Holy God
I was once lost but now am found.
Thank you that you have gathered me
in your loving arms and brought me home.
Today, may I find my rest in you,
and remember there is nothing
I can do to make you love me more,
and nothing I can do
to make you love me less.