How many of us have been standing on the stairs, halfway up or down and wondering, “what was I getting again?”
This reminds me of friends and family who have loved ones that are lost and wandering. When we think about Jesus, the Good Shepherd, the great news for you is this; He does not forget, nor does He get distracted on His way. You will never find this Good Shepherd worried that a sheep has wandered too far and is stuck on a ledge halfway down a cliff. He will search for that beloved, lost sheep, and will not come back until he has found it. Sadly, nowhere are we given a timeline for this. It just says in Luke 15:4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?”
I have never been a sheep farmer or a shepherd, nor do I know a lot about them. I have only admired sheep from the side of the road. I have read however; they do have a reputation of getting themselves into a pinch–and not a small one.
There is a story of a mother sheep who got herself stuck in the fencing around the pasture. She was not content with the vegetation on her side of the fence and with great determination and poor planning, tried to reach through the fence to the other side. She got herself so stuck that some people passing by noticed her and helped free her from her predicament.
There are many of us that have loved ones who have found themselves in a similar position, in the past or currently. The Good Shepherd’s eye is on your loved one. They may feel lost to you, but not to Him. He hears your prayer, and the word of God clearly lays out His mission statement. In Luke 19:10 God says, “For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost.” As you pray, you can rest assured that you are not praying against the will and the purposes of God. We can rest in this truth as we bring our loved one over and over again to the Throne Room of our Father. He is always happy to see you come through the door and sit in His presence. He never tires of your requests for your loved one.
Dear Father,
Thank You for hearing my often-repeated prayers for my loved one. Thank you for Your watch care over them. I leave them with You. Draw them back to Yourself. Thank You,
In Jesus Name,
Amen