Last we were together, I told you the story about my little brother going into the dark alley way because one of my friends had double dog dared him. He did and after a while we heard screaming from the darkness because he ran into some barbed wire.
I mentioned it reminded me of the parable Jesus told in Luke 15. You might be asking what’s the correlation here.
Let’s pretend
Pretend for a moment you are a sheep. A sheep? Yes, a sheep. As a sheep, you are grazing with 99 other sheep in a beautiful green pasture. Isn’t it nice to know you are not alone?
Everything is going well. The sky is beautiful, the weather balmy and you have plenty of wide open space in which to graze. However, you have a sheep friend who decides the current company is less than thrilling. They decide to wander off by themselves and be a loner sheep, and off they go.
Missing sheep in action
The shepherd notices he is missing a sheep. After all, he counts sheep, not to help himself go to sleep, but because he cares for and is responsible for making sure all sheep are accounted for. As any good shepherd would do, he goes in search of your sheep friend. He finds him and brings him back to the herd. Then he celebrates over finding the lost sheep. You may or may not celebrate the lost sheep coming back, but God does.
God rejoices
God loves it when a sheep, actually a sinner repents. Guess what, I’m a sheep, a sinner and God loves it when I repent of something I did wrong.
When my brother wandered off, he took a dare issued by one of my friends and he got himself into trouble back there in the dark alley way. He could have been hurt really bad. The sheep in the parable who wandered off could have been hurt really bad too.
What’s the point?
My point is when we really mess up, get full of ourselves or make bad or unwise decisions, we get ourselves into trouble and think we can’t come back or that no one cares, but God does. God is like the shepherd who went looking for the lost sheep and rejoiced. Our Heavenly Father rejoices over our repentance. He sent us a shepherd, in Jesus Christ who as He says, “lays down his life for his sheep.”
Let’s pray
Father, I’m thankful I have a shepherd who is willing to lay down His life for me. Thank you for giving me life, and for your mercy, and grace. Your love is unending, never-failing. Some days I’m a sheep and I wander away from the flock. Thank you for rescuing me each time. In your Sons name I pray, Amen.
In His Service,
Jeanette Duby, The Teaching Lady
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