Perspective;

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about the lost and my sins. I have been overwhelmed by the truth that Jesus loves me endlessly regardless, despite my epic unworthiness. But even in my brokenness, my rejection of his love, and my darkest secrets...he is overwhelmed with joy that I return...He seeks and saves the lost. He doesn't just leave them there.


Luke 15:4-5 -- If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won't he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders.


I just have this vision of Jesus, the shepherd, searching high and low for me, the lost sheep. I ran away from him, I wanted nothing to do with him, I put myself into danger, I sinned against him and fled...but he searches for me. He leaves the other ninety-nine and comes searching for me..and when he finds me he joyfully carries me home on his shoulders.


I visualize this much like an old photograph of me and my daddy in Disneyland where he is carrying me around on his shoulders with a huge grin on his face. That's how God feels when he finds us and joyfully carries us home into His Kingdom. I love being able to put that into perspective. God isn't dreading the search, he isn't tired of coming after us, he loves us so much that he will come to our rescue every time. And he will joyfully bring us home on his shoulders.


Luke 19:10 -- For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.


This has also helped me to realize that we should be as joyful and excited as God is when that one sheep returns. We shouldn't look down on them because they ran away or hold them to their old standard of behavior, if Jesus can forgive them and joyfully return them to his flock...shouldn't we be able to do the same?


Romans 14:13 -- So let's stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.


When we are not the one who has strayed we still have no right to judge the one who has just returned. We can't let our self-righteousness take over. We should love what Jesus loves and be excited about what Jesus is excited about, trusting that He knows what he's doing...


Luke 15:31 -- His father said to him, "Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!"