by Kala Loptien

The Shepherd’s Pursuit

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking this SoundCloud link.

What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? Matt 18:12-14 ESV

We all have a story. No two are the same. We’re all unique and wonderfully made. But we have a few key characteristics in common. 1.) We’re made in the image of God. 2.) We are like sheep. Though I didn’t count every reference, the analogy is used frequently throughout the Bible. We are the sheep of His pasture. And yet so often, so frequently throughout life, we find ourselves drifting from the fold. We might be scattered amongst the chaos of a constantly moving/changing world. We aren’t far but feel distant. Or, we might find ourselves suddenly alone. We are the one. The one the Good Shepherd leaves all the others to lovingly pursue. I don’t know about you, but I’ve experienced both in my life. For me, that’s when things got personal.

Regardless of how your story has gone/is going/will go, we know this one thing to be true: The Lord stops at nothing to rescue the lost. This kind of reckless love is the reason a Savior was born. The shame and suffering we deserve, he endured on our behalf. The perfect lamb was sacrificed; while the sheep continue to stumble.

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. John 10:11 ESV

This is an overwhelming, incomprehensible kind of love. This is something the world (on its own) cannot recognize. It’s real. It’s selfless and sacrificial. It’s personal. When we feel that… When we feel His pursuit and we know we’ve been drawn in, we walk a little differently. Our desires are that which He desires. Our heart is with Him and we live our life worthy of the calling. This is not to say we won’t ever stumble or fall. It just means we know we have a protective and loving Shepherd who laid it all on the line to ensure not one of us would perish. Amen, Lord.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado