Luke 15:4–7 (NIV) — “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? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”
When I was a little boy, I loved God deeply, even though I knew almost nothing about Him. I didn’t own a Bible, and the church I attended rarely taught from it. Still, something in me was drawn to God. I can vividly remember kneeling beside my bed at night, praying and asking Him for help with the little burdens of a child’s life. I believed in Him with all my heart, though I understood so little.
But as I grew older, questions crept in. I wanted to know more about God, yet I found no answers. My childlike faith began to fade, replaced with doubt. I wondered if God was even real, and slowly, I wandered away from Him. That wandering left me empty, and though I didn’t fully realize it then, I was like the lost sheep Jesus described—far from the shepherd, not knowing how to find my way back.
Ten years later, God answered the silent cry of my heart. A kind woman who truly knew God patiently opened the Scriptures to me. For the very first time, I understood the gospel clearly. She led me to invite Jesus into my heart, and my life was forever changed. She also gave me my very first Bible and recommended a good Bible-teaching church that I began to attend and grow in. That day, it felt as if I had finally come home.
When I read Jesus’ words about the shepherd leaving the ninety-nine to search for the one lost sheep, I realize just how personal and intimate God’s love is. He knew I was searching. He saw me when I was doubting, questioning, and wandering. And He never gave up on me. He sent people across my path to point me toward Him, even when I didn’t yet understand. At the right time, my eyes were opened, and I realized He had been reaching for me all along.
God is like that with each of us. His love is not distant or vague. It is intimate, personal, and persistent. He knows every detail of our lives and every thought in our hearts. And when one of His children is lost, He pursues them relentlessly—not out of duty, but out of joy and love. The moment we turn back to Him, heaven itself rejoices.
Today, I wake up thankful that God never stopped pursuing me. And I am reminded that He is still searching for the lost all around us. Perhaps you know someone who seems far away from God. Be encouraged—He has not given up on them. He loves them more deeply than you can imagine, and He may use you as part of His search. And if someone has sent this to you, and it is speaking directly to your heart, please know that this is God reaching out to you this very moment.
Prayer Reflection: Dear Lord, thank You for never giving up on me. Thank You for pursuing me with a love so personal and so deep. Help me to hear Your voice calling me back when I wander, and give me courage to say yes to You. Use me to point others toward Your love, so that they too may know the joy of coming home to You. IIn Jesus' name, Amen.
John 10:27–28 — “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.”
