Luke 15:4-5 – “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.”
The parable of the lost sheep is one we are all too familiar with. Jesus said it to emphasize that He had come, not just to socialize with those who were already close to Him, but to go after the ones who were lost and out of His presence. We often think of this parable from the perspective of the lost sheep, and we’re grateful that God came looking for us when we were lost and alone. But today, let’s take a different perspective and look at this story as one of the 99 sheep who were safe with the shepherd.
Once we are saved, we become one of the 99 who remain close to God. We go where He goes and follow His guidance in our lives. But are we content just staying there, socializing with the other 98 sheep? Do we take time to think of the lost who are not among us? If we truly have the compassion of Jesus, we would also go with our Shepherd and seek out the lost sheep. Let us have a heart to identify those who are lonely and hurting, share the love of Christ with them, and bring them back to the Shepherd.
Prayer: Lord, give me a heart to seek out the lost, just as You did. Create a burden in my heart to share Your love to those who haven’t experienced it yet. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
