Devo: Matthew 18:10-14 (The Parable of the Lost Sheep)

This is a good reminder of how much God loves us. Just like the shepherd, God will leave the ninety-nine to look for the one that’s straying.

“What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying?” V. 12

It’s a reminder for us to truly care for people who are sinning. This is an area that I am still growing in. Sometimes instead of understanding people and caring for them, we judge. We fail to realize that God can redeem them.

“And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.” V. 13

It says in this verse that God (symbolized by the shepherd) rejoices when the straying one is found. He is happier to find a lost soul than the ninety-nine who were never lost. He is not mad when the straying one is found. He does not blame either. He just accepts the person back and rejoices.

It has a similarity with the parable of the prodigal son. The son strayed and sqaundered his inheritance even when his father was still alive. Yet, when he returned home after losing everything, the father, seeing him from afar, hurried to meet his son happily and gave him a feast just for coming back. He had no bitterness in his heart at all.

Not that the father did not love the son who never left. He was just ecstatic to know that his son was returning.

“For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.” v. 11

Just like that father, God, being our heavenly Father, does not want His children to be lost.

“Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.” V. 14

I think it was last night when I was contemplating and I thought that everything that God did and does is because of love. He is a loving God. That is His character. What an honor it is to be recipients of that wonderful, awesome, great love. We are not deserving of it but He loves us anyway.

This is something we need to be reminded of daily because it’s easy to think that God does not love us when hardships come.

Sometimes we wonder if God really loves us or if He ever really loved us when bad things happen or when we don’t get the answer to our prayers. It’s easy to fall into the self-pity trap because things are difficult.

However, we need to doubt our doubts. God loves us deeply that He will not let us stray. And if we ever do, He will “go to the mountains” just to find us and bring us back.

God does not want us to doubt His love for us. That doubt is not from God so we have to rebuke them.

Father God in heaven, help us to believe from the bottom of our heart that You love us, and that nothing can take that love away. Forgive is when we doubt Your love. Help us to respond to that love properly. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.