The Lost Sheep

We were all once the lost sheep (unrepentant sinners). Yahweh Rohi cares so much about the lost sheep that He goes after it until He finds it. When He finds the lost sheep, He joyfully puts it on His shoulders. He also wants others to rejoice with Him. The ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent allude to the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who neither see the need to repent nor the need for a Savior. Jesus says in Luke 5:31-32, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." The scribes and Pharisees failed to see their sin/sickness; they believed they were righteous, not lost.

Christ's compassion has no bounds. Because of His relentless love and unending grace, He keeps looking for the lost sheep. He forgives and forgives. What the lost sinners need to do is to repent (turn away from a lifestyle of sins/worldliness 180 degrees toward God). There's great rejoicing in Heaven over one repentant sinner because each soul is precious to God. "The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9) God delays Christ's second coming and final judgment because He graciously desires that all people will repent and accept His free gift of salvation through faith in Christ. This is God's heart! His motive demonstrates His incredible grace and mercy! The Lord is abounding in love and slow to anger. He is being patient with the ungodly and unrepentant. Some will perish but it is not God's will that they perish. Jesus died for all. The gift of salvation is available to all. But God will not save us against our will. God also gives us the gift of choice. We can choose Jesus or reject Him. He deliberately keeps giving people more and more time to come to repentance. We are given more time to reach out to people with the Gospel; do not waste it. Jesus came to earth to seek and save the lost. God's mission has not changed. He gives us His redeemed children the assignment to bring "lost sheep" back into the love and safety of His kingdom. 

Prayer: Lord, thank You for saving me! Thank You for Your never-failing love, compassion, grace, mercy, and faithfulness! You never give up on us. Please help us not to ever give up on people, either. Please help us to be active agents of Your redemption.