In my daily Bible reading this week I read Luke chapter 15, where Jesus tells the Parables of the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin and the Lost Son.
The sheep was lost because like most of us, at some point in our lives, it wandered away. The coin was lost through no fault of its own, but the son foolishly left out of selfishness and his sinful desires. It may seem irrational for the shepherd to leave 99 sheep to go search for just one, but the shepherd knew that the 99 would be safe in the sheepfold together, but that the lost sheep was in danger.
In the parable of the lost sheep and the lost coin, the seeker actively looked for the lost sheep and the lost coin, which could not return by themselves, but in the story of the lost son, the father watched and waited. Like the lost sheep, when we wandered away, we were weak, helpless and in danger. We could do nothing on our own to save ourselves. Someone had to come and rescue us.
We may be able to understand a God who would forgive sinners who come to Him for mercy, but a God who tenderly searches for sinners and then joyfully forgives them must possess an extraordinary love! This is the kind of love that prompted Christ to come to Earth to seek and save the lost. This is the kind of extraordinary love that He has for each and every one of us!
Romans 5:8 “But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”
What amazing words! God sent Jesus to die for us, not because we were good enough or deserved it, but because He loved us. Whenever you feel uncertain about God’s love for you, remember that He loved you even before you turned to Him. If God loved you when you were lost, He can surely strengthen you now if you return to Him.
As we celebrate the death, burial and resurrection of our risen Savior today, just know it doesn’t matter how far we have strayed away from our Heavenly Father, God’s love is constant, patient and welcoming! He will search for us and give us an opportunity to return. In the same way the father watched and waited for the lost son, the Heavenly Father is waiting and watching to welcome us home.
