Scripture: Matthew 18:12-14 (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? 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! In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father’s will that even one of these little ones should perish.”
Devotional: Today’s Scripture passage is called the Parable of the Lost Sheep. It is a beautiful picture that Jesus gives us. Through it, Jesus draws the comparison to that of a shepherd who will leave the flock of 99 sheep to search after the one who has wandered away. He then says that our Father in Heaven is the same as the shepherd. If one of us wanders off, He loves us enough to come after us. He will never leave us behind or forsake us. Instead, He pursues us.
Isn’t this an incredible reminder of the type of God that we have? He wouldn’t have to do that for us, but He chooses to. He is full of love, mercy, and compassion. And when we fall short or are lost, He comes after us. He leaves the 99 to find the one. And when we are found, He does not express disappointment or frustration. Rather, He rejoices and celebrates our return.
When we think about unity, this is a great example of how we should also pursue people in our life. You may have heard the question in the church before, “Who is your ‘one’?” Meaning, who is the one person in your life that is not currently walking with Jesus that you are going to build a relationship with? Someone that you will spend time with, pour into, and pray for? The sole goal of this friendship is not just their salvation, though we can pray to that end, but to love them well. We get to show them the love of Jesus all throughout their life. And they might come to know Jesus as their Savior. But even if they don’t, we continue to build that relationship with them.
God loves us enough to pursue us when we have wandered off. His desire is that all would know Him! He wants this world united under the fact that He is God alone and we can live forever with Him because of Jesus. We can look to this type of love as an example of how to love others well. When we build a relationship with at least a single ‘one’ person, we get to extend Jesus’ love and forgiveness to them. That love and forgiveness it what truly unites us and inspires us.
Reflect:
- Do you have a ‘one’?
- If yes, say a prayer for them- thanking God for them and asking how you might love them well this week.
- If no, pray that God might help you to see someone in your life that you can pour into.