The One

  The One

“What do you think? If someone has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, won’t he leave the ninety-nine on the hillside and go and search for the stray? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over that sheep more than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.” Matthew 18: 12-13

What does this mean to you? 

God math is nothing like mine. Because I wouldn’t just leave ninety- nine behind to go after one. Why wouldn’t I just focus on the ninety-nine and forget about the one? It seems logical doesn’t it? But there is something I am missing when I do God math. His Mercy will never add up to me understanding how it continues to chase after one. His Mercy can never be changed. His Mercy will always reach down to the lowest and the one that has thought He has forgotten. He is Mercy. 

Sometimes I like to picture Scripture in my mind. He used sheep because this was something they knew about. I can almost picture them as he is telling them this. “Wait, you mean you are telling us to leave ninety-nine to go after one?” That doesn’t make sense if we are looking at it through our lens. But if I am looking through the lens of Mercy of my Father it explains His pursuit after us when we go astray. I can almost picture the sheep all alone. I was all alone. Sometimes I think about that. Where would I be without the love of God? He chased me down. Mercy was Present even before Jesus. Mercy is actively choosing to keep moving and pursuing those who feel all alone. Maybe you are one of those.

What does it mean to have goodness and mercy following us? 

“For your faithful love guides me, and I live by your truth.” Psalm 26:3

We serve a Living God. He heals, delivers, redeems, and is alive, living and breathing. He desires that we would be the closest person to Him. That is why He chose to bring Jesus down to earth. So we could experience a living and breathing relationship with Him. Jesus lives in us so we can allow him to shepherd and guide us in all our ways. But the choice is ours. I lived the alternative of an empty life that nothing ever satisfied. Jesus offers us to come and abide in us and bring us comfort and this world can’t do that apart from Jesus. 

“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree; so that, having died to sins, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but you have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” 1 Peter 2:24-25

He sees you. He knows you. He loves you.