4 “Suppose a man has 100 sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the 99 sheep grazing in the pasture and look for the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 When he finds it, he’s happy. He puts that sheep on his shoulders and 6 goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says to them, ‘Let’s celebrate! I’ve found my lost sheep!’ 7 I can guarantee that there will be more happiness in heaven over one person who turns to God and changes the way he thinks and acts than over 99 people who already have turned to God and have his approval.”
The Great Shepherd follows, goes after, pursues the lost sheep until He finds it. What a great God we serve, all the while we walk away from Him and pursue other things, in His prevenient grace, He pursues us... until we turn, until we fall, until we see our need for Him.
I have often understood this parable from this perspective, but what of the other sheep. What are they doing? Sometimes I think they are getting in the way trying to save the sheep themselves. Other times they may get bewildered and go their own way too, since the Shepherd is not taking care of things right now. What will I do? Trust and Obey is my answer out of habit and I am glad. Sometimes the obeying is harder and sometimes the trusting is harder, but to be happy in Jesus, that is what I will do. While I do, maybe sometimes I will be the sheep crying out for the Great Shepherd and maybe sometimes I will be the sheep dog, helping others to remain faithful along the way.
The picture above hangs on my office wall as a reminder...
Jesus while You do what You do best, I will trust, I will pray, I will cry, and I will be faithful to the One called Wonderful, the Great Shepherd.
James 3:18,
Camelot
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