June 10 - After the One

Read: Luke 15:1-7

"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? (Luke 15:4 ESV)

On our farm when I was growing up it was very common for my dad to go looking for a cow if it was separated from the herd. He would throw all of his effort into finding the missing animal and bring it back to the group. Jesus' parable about lost sheep teaches that God reacts much the same way over lost people.

We are silly, selfish, and dumb by default. Left to our own devices we would choose our own destruction over and over again—without even realizing it. This is what it means to be lost. We are wanderers. We are separated from God by our sins of omission and commission.

How amazing that He would initiate the rescue. That he cared enough about us to come and save us. The point to be learned is that each of us have incredible value and worth. We are worth so much that God would redeem us by the sacrificial death of His only Son. He would graft us into family.

Let me ask, are you among the one? Have you been brought back into the fold? It only takes a moment to ask.