Looking for You

"Seeking the Lost Sheep in the Mountains"
courtesy La Vista Church of Christ

God is looking for you, even if we don't think we are worth the effort.

There is one fact that I want you to be perfectly clear about, and that is that God loves you.  We have heard people say a lot about God loving the world (if we hear even that much), and often lose sight of the fact that He loves us as  individuals.  It doesn't matter what we have done, or even what we are doing right now, He still loves us; loves me; loves you.

Many stories exist that, in one way or another, try to illustrate that love.  The one I read most recently involves a man who owned some sheep, a hundred of them to be exact.  Now at the end of the day when he brought all the sheep in from grazing, it seems as though one was missing.  He counts again, and sure enough, only ninety-nine sheep.  He could have thought that it was too much trouble to go out into the darkness to find this one sheep.  He could have thought that the lost sheep will get what it deserves for wandering away.  He could have thought up so many excuses not to go out, but instead he chose to look for that one lost sheep.

A storm started to brew, but that did not deter him.  It only served to increase the earnestness of his search.  Despite the darkness of the night and the danger of the path, he searches until at long last he hears the faint sound of his lost sheep.  He can tell that if he doesn't get to it soon it will be too late, and with great joy he at last finds it.  He doesn't scold or punish the sheep, but rather takes it in his arms and brings it to the place of safety.  It didn't matter what the sheep had done, he was simply glad to bring it home.

One writer put it this way

"Desponding soul, take courage, even though you have done wickedly. Do not think that perhaps God will pardon your transgressions and permit you to come into His presence. God has made the first advance. While you were in rebellion against Him, He went forth to seek you. With the tender heart of the shepherd He left the ninety and nine and went out into the wilderness to find that which was lost."  Christ's Object Lessons pgs. 188-189

One of the greatest lies going around is the one that states that we have gone too far, committed too many sins to be loved by a holy God, but that could not be further from the truth.  However far we have gone, He will go even farther to bring us to Him.  Don't worry about trying to fix yourself ahead of time, simply allow yourself to be found, and He will find you because He is looking for you.

The Divine Shepherd

In this chaotic, and often violent, world it's good to know that there is Someone to take care of us.  That is, if we let Him.

As I had mentioned previously, I am reading through the book The Desire of Ages.  The chapter I most recently read is entitled "The Divine Shepherd".  The concept of Jesus being a shepherd is perhaps one of the most common ways in which Jesus is portrayed.  If you go into practically any church or cathedral that has stained glass windows there will be some reference to this concept.  Why is it so popular?  Out of all the word pictures found in the Scriptures, why does this one resonate with people as much as it does?  I would venture to say that it is because of this fact.  We all want Someone to take care of us.

Sure there are many who with much bravado will say that they don't need anybody, that they can take care of themselves.  I will be bold enough to say that those people are simply fooling themselves.  We are in constant need of care, and that is why Jesus referred to us as sheep. Now as I mentioned some months ago, being a sheep is not a popular analogy for many people.  This is mainly due to this false sense of independence that was just as prevalent back then as it is today.  Someone once told me that the parables were often meant to offend people in one way or another.  To a self-made man or woman, this concept would be quite offensive.  We have to be humble and realize our need.

In closing, remember this,

"Because we are the gift of His Father, and the reward of His work, Jesus loves us. He loves us as His children. Reader, He loves you. Heaven itself can bestow nothing greater, nothing better. Therefore trust." -- The Desire of Ages pg. 483

Being a Sheep

Psalm 100 ¹ Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. ² Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. ³ Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. ⁴ Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. ⁵ For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Only by being His sheep can we truly find rest.

Even though I included the entire psalm, one verse stood out above the rest, and that is verse three. I recently did a little studying about sheep, as well as the concept of us being His sheep. The author lived in an area where sheep were an important part of the livelihood and economy, and therefore knew about sheep (esp. if the author was David, who was, in fact, a shepherd). The more I know about sheep, the less flattering the illustration becomes.

You see, sheep are definitely not the smartest animal out there. In fact, they are probably near the bottom of the intelligence scale. It's a little humbling as an intelligent human to be compared with such an animal, but the illustration fits when I compare myself to God. There are so many times when I haven't acted intelligently esp. where my spiritual life is concerned. I need to realize that I need God to take care of me as a shepherd would take care of his sheep. When I am in His pasture I have little to be concerned with because I know that I am under His care.

To be in His pasture, I must constantly surrender to His leading; something I am not inclined to do. I understood the concept of a general surrender to God, but more recently I have discovered that surrendering to God meant surrendering the little things of life. The process of surrendering is not the easiest thing to do, but it's the only way I can truly find the rest that comes from being the sheep of his pasture.