When we are lost while driving, it only means one thing and that is, we DO NOT KNOW THE WAY!  Duhhhhh! What do we do?  We stop and ask for directions.  Or we put on Waze to direct us.  We ask for help!

When we see people who are still lost in the wilderness, we judge not.  Instead, we lift them up in prayer that God will pour out His Spirit as what He has promised.  The pouring of His Spirit in people’s hearts are invitations for everyone to respond.

In actuality, no sheep looks for the shepherd most especially when they are lost.  They are “foolish” animals that naturally go astray, thus a shepherd is a vitality.  The shepherd takes full responsibility of leading them and taking care of them.  I heard someone said, that in the olden times, shepherds make time to be with the sheep for them to recognize the voice of the shepherd.  They call their sheep by name and oh how they respond accordingly.

It is amazing to think that our time spent in the presence of God is never wasted time.  This is where we learn how to hear and recognize His voice and obey.  He said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” (John 10:27)

The Lord is our Shepherd Who is always on a lookout for the safety and security of His own.  He never sleeps nor slumbers.  His eyes go to and fro seeking for open hearts where He can fill and flood with Himself.

At the same time, He, too, is looking for those who are lost.  While Jesus was walking on earth, He fellowshipped with sinners and tax collectors, never to condemn them nor put them to shame, but to make them feel loved and accepted as they are.  His love cannot be intimidated by unrighteousness surrounding Him.  He knew that the new and living way that He was walking in was not of the old covenant.   “Behold, I am making all things new.” (Revelation 21:5)

In the old covenant, when one comes near a proclaimed unclean person, he becomes unclean.  In the new covenant with better promises, the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus is so powerful that when an unrighteous one comes near the righteous, he gets sanctified.  When Jesus came near the sick, they were healed.  The weak became strong.  The lame walked.  The mute spoke.  The blind saw.  The dead arose.  The demon possessed was set free.  This is the power of the Gospel.  This is why Jesus said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” (Mark 2:17)

We think of our Good Shepherd carefully counting the sheep in His sheepfold at all times.  He said, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.”  (John 10:28-30)  

On the other hand, He leaves the ninety nine whom He safely houses in His embrace and goes in search for the missing one.

“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost?  And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn’t wander away!” (Matthew 18:12-13 NLT)

The Lord sees the potential of every person.  He knows the reason why people are lost and has compassion over them.  He knows the way back home into our Heavenly Father’s embrace for He Himself is the way.  He never desires for anyone to perish but for all to have eternal life.  He woos us with His goodness displayed before our very eyes for it is His goodness that brings one to repentance.  When one’s eyes are unveiled and are summoned to meet the eyes of our Good Shepherd, salvation comes.  What a celebration there is when one wanderer is found and how HE rejoices over him.

“When He has found it, He lays it on His shoulders, REJOICING.” (Luke 15:5 NASB)

There is hope for everyone, for He loves His created beings greatly.  We all have a part to play to co-labor with Him in this journey of diffusing His goodness to whomever He calls us to touch and impart.  The whole earth is groaning for the sons of God, that’s you and I, to take our rightful place, walking in His love that people around us will taste and see how good He is and how welcomed they are to partake of everything that Jesus has paid for at the cross.

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, thank You, for giving us Jesus, Who is our Good Shepherd.  Oh how He pursued us, never given up on us until we get wood into learning, knowing and experiencing how loved we are by You.  Thank You, Jesus, for hunting us down with Your love, going over the mountains and crossing the rivers, for the joy that was set before You, You endured the agony of the cross.  What a joy to know that You rejoiced over us when You met us face to face.  Thank You, Holy Spirit, for leading us back into our Father’s embrace.  Amen!